Misunderstanding
by TheWubber5
Summary: Here we examine just what happened the first time our lovely Princess Peach was kidnapped by Bowser and what their relationship turned into while they were alone together as Mario ventured to save her from Bowser's greedy claws.
1. Prologue

Bowser had always been a tough man. He was a stone wall from his shell to his heart, and not much could cause his heart to crack. His citizens dying in large numbers? Nope. His seven children wreaking havoc throughout his kingdom and his home? Not at all. It was deemed impossible to even make him smile, except for when his apparent arrogance and sadism shined the most.

But, then again, we haven't quite mentioned _her_ yet. The one who actually _had_ caused the breakdown that thousands, maybe even millions, had anticipated.

And it all started with a kidnapping.


	2. Taken

Princess Peach inhaled deeply, appreciating the scent of the freshly bloomed flowers within her expansive garden. The cheery blue sky was stretched out far beyond where she could see, past the many villages and people of the Mushroom Kingdom. The flowers that seemed to don their own type of rainbow danced and glittered in the rich, warm sunlight. It had been such a long time since Peach was able to leave the castle for a break, especially since her parents' departure.

She wilted a bit, not unlike the old flower at the farther end of her garden. Her parents had had to leave for a political alliance with some kingdom she couldn't for the life of her remember the name of. Before she got to delve into a deeper depression induced by the memory of goodbye, she heard footsteps from beside her.

"Hello, Princess!" Mario called out, careful to approach her without trampling her flowers. She looked up and smiled brightly, happy to see her best friend, next to Daisy. "How are you-a doing today?"

"I'm doing just fine, Mario, thank you for asking," Peach said, the line polite and rehearsed. She stood up and straightened out the tiny wrinkles in her dress. "What have you been up to today? I would hope someone hired you for a job with their clogged pipes." She smirked playfully. Mario raised an eyebrow in question, but still smiled himself.

"Very-a funny Princess," Mario exaggerated. "I-a actually got a couple calls today with Luigi."

"Really?" Peach asked, unable to control the surprise on her face. "I didn't know Luigi went with you."

"Did I not-a tell you? I thought I-a did." Mario rubbed his chin in thought, then shrugged. "I guess I-a forgot to. He-a comes with-a me a lot. We're not the-a Mario _Brothers_ for-a nothing." He grinned, happy with his business.

Peach looked down and smiled, observing a smaller, younger flower. It seemed to beam back at her, with the grin of an infant. She touched the petals softly, a bit sad at the inability to feel its gentle petals. However, she could swear she felt it shiver with delight at her touch. Mario watched, not wanting to speak and ruin the peace of the moment. Everything was still and painted in soft pastels, a moment that Peach wanted to trap in time.

Then there was the heavy wind, the rough pressure on her head and body, and then the darkness. Not to mention Mario's screaming. Before she knew it, she was in the air. A combination of Mario's suddenly distant voice and a deeper, grittier voice that she didn't recognize that was much louder and much _closer_. A headache began to grow ever-so-obnoxiously as the strange voice continued to shout.

Later on, after waking up from...wait, _waking up_? When had she fallen asleep? She looked around her, and tried to rub her tired eyes. It was a tad difficult considering that her arms were tied to arm chairs. As her consciousness returned slowly, she realized that her previously minor headache was now splitting. She groaned in pain and heard a distant shuffle in response.

"Who...who's there?" Peach called out, squinting to see better in the dark. Her attempts were, obviously, fruitless. All she could make out was one giant blob. "Hello? Is anyone even here?"

There was another noise, but this one resembled more of a grunt. Peach leaned back, now a little frightened to know that she wasn't alone. Especially in this strange place that smelled strongly of gunpowder. She didn't like it one bit, and she wanted out right away. She squirmed in her seat, trying to find a weak spot in her binds.

"It's no use, Peach," the figure ahead of her chuckled. "I tied those myself. Checked 'em twice, too."

The blonde struggled some more, muttering, "Someone's going to find me."

The figure ahead of her laughed in reply, turning on the lights. The sudden brightness was quite a bit to adjust to, and made her headache pound within her skull. She hissed quietly, then scowled at the figure. She wasn't able to hold this bravery for long, though, because she noticed that her captor was a tall...dragon...turtle...thing. Even if she couldn't place his species, he was intimidating.

He was tall, and bulky, and two pointy horns poked through the sides of his head. His blood-red hair cascaded like a mane, and his eyes (being the same crimson color) pierced into her like a knife. His teeth resembled daggers, each a new threat that caused her skin to quiver in fear. He wore spiked bands on his neck and arms, and his meaty hands and feet sported some unfriendly claws.

The only comforting feature about him was his eyebrows. They were thick and bushy, and quite funny-looking. If she wasn't being held prisoner by this beast, she would laugh and giggle at his brow. It just seemed silly for someone as intimidating as him. Of course this was forgotten as soon as he turned around to fiddle with some switches, when she saw his tail and shell. They were both heavily decorated with spikes that could easily slide through her like butter. She swallowed hard.

She was going to ask what it was he was doing to get her mind off being impaled by his backside, but the sudden lifting of her chair distracted her. She squealed in surprise, causing her captor to turn around and look at her terrified face, making him laugh more.

"Do you not like heights, Peach?" the dragon-turtle guy asked with a smirk. "Just wait, I've got something even worse than that."

She wasn't going to ask, she promised herself she wouldn't. She wanted to let her fear take over enough to give her the adrenaline to find a way to get out when he left. But the curiosity nipped at her like a needy baby shark. She had to ask or she'd go insane. You can't escape if you're insane, right?

"What do you mean?" Princess Peach asked warily. He grinned.

"I'm _so_ glad you asked."

With that, his clawed hand gripped a switch, and he pulled it down with more force than was really necessary. The floor fell around her, the stone falling and crumbling into...oh no…

"_Lava_?!" She shrieked, wishing she could flail her legs. She knew it wouldn't help but it would make her feel a little less helpless.

The beast just laughed out loud, his deep, baritone roar rumbling around her as he turned off the lights again. The light from the lava provided just enough to see his more terrifying features. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him, no matter how much she wanted to look away. It was like watching a plane crash, and it just kept coming.

He walked towards her, the stone around him falling as he walked, leaving a bridge of the same material behind. He walked to the end point of his bridge, a little section of stone right in front of Peach. He could reach her face easily, and he smirked right at her. She sneered back, leaning away. He faltered slightly, then chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Peach asked, her tone a little more wavy than before. This guy was just...weird.

"I just realized that, for someone so proper and regal, you haven't even asked me what my name is." He took great pleasure in making her uncomfortable and scared, it seemed.

"I highly doubt that it's of any importance," she retorted.

He raised a brow, but continued to smirk. "Now that just hurt my feelings. You're a real tough girl, aren't ya? I don't get many people talking to me like that. I'm pretty respected here."

"Respected?" Peach snorted. "I would think more 'feared beyond belief'."

"Is there a difference?" A lazy grin.

She realized that he was just going to keep this circle going until she asked what his stupid name was. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she looked at the wall to keep from looking at him. Since she had gotten a bit of his personality, he wasn't as terrifying. Just silly looking, like something from a child's imagination.

"What _is_ your name?" she asked curtly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He beamed. "Why, thank you for asking!" He stepped back a bit, giving her enough space to just barely touch his chest with her toes, which didn't mean much. "I am Bowser! King of the Koopas!" His voice boomed, shaking the walls and causing her to hiss in pain. _Again_.

"What's a 'koopa'?" Peach asked. "I've never even heard of that."

"Obviously you've been more sheltered," Bowser replied, sighing with annoyance. "A koopa is what I am. We're a strong race, and we have control of the entire Darklands. My kingdom's been in a bit of a scuffle with yours ever since before we were _both_ here."

Peach was confused then. She looked at Bowser again. "What do you mean? How old are you?"

"About two years ahead of you." He answered simply. "So...twenty-three."

"Yes, I _can_ add," Peach replied, rolling her eyes.

"Isn't it easy to tell?" Bowser asked suddenly, raising a brow.

"To tell what?"

"How old I am."

Peach mulled it over a bit, thinking of how to put it. "Not really. You don't exactly look all that young," she said simply. "I mean, you look more like...I don't know...thirty? Yeah, about thirty." She smiled at her seemingly accurate reasoning.

Bowser was a little stunned. Then he chuckled a bit. He seemed to be full of giggles. "Well, I guess koopas don't age like humans do."

"Clearly," Peach sighed. "Why am I here again?"

Bowser's eyes popped wide open. He'd seemed to have forgotten momentarily. "Ah, right, you're here because I have recently been crowned king, and my first choice as king is to take over your kingdom. I've noticed that your ever-faithful mother and father have left for whatever reason, so I see a viable reason for takeover. You leaving makes it all the easier, so I just...took you!"

Peach gasped, suddenly afraid again. This time not for herself, but for her parents and her kingdom. She didn't want these "koopas" taking over, and she wouldn't let them. Not on her life!

"It's not going to happen!" Peach shouted. "I'll die for my kingdom if I have to! Anything to keep it from you!"

Bowser scowled. With a shake of his head, he darkly replied, "If that's how it's going to be."

He shuffled over to his switches again and grabbed a lever. Ever-so-slowly, he lowered it. As the lever lowered, Peach did as well. She got inches and inches closer to the increasingly heated lava below. Her heart and throat constricted. Her headache seemingly vanished as she screamed for help.

Suddenly, a koopa whom she took for a soldier busted in through the door, kneeling before his king immediately.

"Sire! I have an urgent report!" he shouted, looking up at Bowser. "It's about one of your castles!"

"What about it?!" Bowser barked, ripping the lever back up. Peach's rope quickly yanked her up, sparing her from just barely touching the lava.

"There's...there's been an unexpected visitor. He's...he's blown it up."

Bowser was furious immediately. He restrained himself from not completely obliterating the other koopa. After all, it isn't really fair to shoot the messenger. After a second of two of a strange combination of cowering and growling, Bowser calmed enough to push the koopa from his path and lean down to give him some orders. Peach leaned in to listen.

"Keep an eye on her...she's an important person," he muttered. "A political prisoner. Make sure she doesn't try to trick you or something."

"Yes, sire," the soldier nodded.

Before Bowser left, he shot Peach a menacing glare, as though _she_ had blown up his castle. She couldn't point this out though, mainly because the king had left. He was a little too fast for one of his size. The soldier took his place, but he stayed silent and kept his distance.

"Um, hi," Peach muttered, feeling odd talking to him, but feeling a little more odd _not_ talking to him. "Does he have more than one castle?" An innocent enough question.

"Yes, Lord Bowser has many castles," the soldier replied. His tone was a practiced steel.

"What does he need more than one castle for?" the princess asked. "It's a little strange."

"He uses them for many things. Punishments, storage space, summer homes, anything he needs them for," the koopa said. "Some have even been built on command, right when he says he needs one. We're quick architects, us koopas."

"So, if he has so many as it is, why does one blowing up make him so angry?"

"It's his territory. He has it claimed, and anything he has claimed, he's very protective of. He isn't too fond of someone messing with his things. It's one of the larger reasons our army's stronger than what's most likely needed."

Princess Peach couldn't help but have a bit of admiration for the king. As malicious as he was, he knew what it was to want to protect his kingdom. Anyone could respect that in a leader. But she couldn't help but wonder what that meant for her. Had he "claimed" her? Was she his in his eyes? It wasn't the most pleasant thought, to be owned by someone else.

With a shudder, she shook off the idea. It wasn't healthy to dwell on such negatives. Instead, she focused on this new presence, who was much more tolerable than Bowser. She thought being nice to this one would be a little less odd than being nice to her captor.

"So, mister, um...Koopa?" Peach tried with a slightly forced smile. "What's your position at the castle?"

"I'm a koopatroopa," the koopa replied proudly. "I protect the kingdom and the king. Lord Bowser has placed me as one of the castle's more higher-ranked troopas." He beamed, obviously having a high amount of respect for his king.

Peach smiled in return. "What does Bowser usually need protecting from? He seems strong enough to handle himself."

"His enemies are stronger, at times."

Nothing more was said on the topic, for two reasons. For one, the koopatroopa didn't seem like he was going to mention it again, and Peach was a little too startled by the troopa's overly serious tone to bring it up again. Instead, they sat in silence. It gave Peach some time to think, and as she thought, she realized how tired she suddenly was.

Maybe it was the quiet, or the comforting (if not overwhelming) heat from the nearby lava, or just the overall exhaustion from the events of the day, but Peach somehow found it within her to fall asleep. She dreamed of angry dragons and racing turtles, drowned in lava as slow as molasses.

_End of Chapter_


	3. Finding the Perfect Solution

Bowser grumbled to himself as his servants tried to will him awake. He didn't want to have to get up because that meant he had to go to countless meetings and listen to tons of other countries attempt at forming alliances with him. It was irritating beyond anything he'd ever had the displeasure of being forced to listen to. With sleep-grogginess holding back some of his power, he spit a puny fireball at the bold maids, who easily dodged, more than used to his childish behavior.

"Siya, ya must wake up," one of the slightly higher-ranking maids groaned, placing her calloused hand on Bowser's face in a light, hopefully waking slap. "Ya have too much ta do today ta sleep in."

"Go away, you old hag!" Bowser growled, opening one eye to look menacingly at his maid. "I'm sleeping."

The maid rolled her eyes and sighed. "I didn't want ta do this sire."

She gave the signal to the other maids, who got the usual bucket ready. At the whispered count of three, she ripped off the blankets and shouted "Now!" They poured ice-cold water, adorned lovingly with actual chunks of ice, all over their beloved king. Said king bolted out of bed roaring and fully awake, his fire _much_ longer and larger than it had been before.

"There we go," the maid said with a crooked grin. "Now you're up."

Bowser would have roasted her right then and there, but Kamek appeared and whisked him away, thanking the maids for getting Bowser up and awake. Meanwhile, the koopa king was roaring and thrashing about in anger, threatening to flame broil his maids. Kamek just rolled his eyes and kept his leader walking.

"Now, Lord Bowser, your itinerary says that you need to attend a meeting about finding a suitable partner for your arranged marriage," Kamek began, as per usual. Right away, Bowser raised a brow at him. "Is there a question about that, sire?"

"Only that I'm able to pick out my own wife," Bowser said, his tone dripping with confusion. "Isn't the whole point of an arranged marriage that it's arranged?"

"Well, Your Grace, _you_ demanded us to allow you to choose," Kamek responded impatiently, annoyed with his scatterbrained king.

"Right, of course I did. It's a great idea," Bowser said triumphantly, grinning. Kamek rolled his eyes. "What else is there?"

"Hm...after your first meeting, there's about two more, but the second isn't too important, just some international relations issues. You could probably finish it in under an hour," Kamek hummed. "After those, you're pretty much free for the day."

"Who's holding the relations meeting?" Bowser asked gruffly. "Because if it's another kingdom that makes a mess in the meeting room, I swear I'll-"

"It's the Mushroom Kingdom, I believe," Kamek answered, cutting off another one of Bowser's long-winded threats. "They're hoping to become trade partners with us, if I heard right."

"Aren't we enemies with that kingdom?"

"Well, yes, we have been for years." A turn down into a hallway. "But they're saying that we have resources they want, and that they have resources _we_ may want."

"I doubt anything those shiitake heads have are anything we need," Bowser grumbled.

"Water that doesn't have to be filtered ten times," Kamek began immediately, counting off with his fingers. "A steady supply of natural life with natural oxygen, food that somehow supports a lower mortality rate-" He stopped as Bowser cut him off with a hard glare. He gave a grin. "Is there something you've noticed we need, sire?"

"You're lucky I'm still kinda tired," Bowser grumbled, walking faster towards the meeting room, where he could already hear the chattering of his advisers. "What's this one for?"

"This meeting?"

"No, this new weird growth on my tail," Bowser growled sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "_Yes_ this meeting!"

"The water filter systems have been faulty lately so they're in discussion about what should be done about them."

Bowser sighed, rubbed his eyes, opened the door, and walked in. He could already hear nothing but the seemingly slowed down clock, ticking at him mockingly. It was going to be a very long morning…

Hours later, Bowser was ready to implode. He was bored out of his mind. All of his advisers and the workers of the individual departments were bickering about the same things continuously. It was torture, way worse than anything he'd ever punished anyone to. He was completely sure that if he were to be damned to cleaning nothing but toilets his whole life he could find a way to make it less mind-numbing and awful than this.

After a ten-minute argument about the town central park, Bowser finally felt ready to rip the head off of a few koopas in the room.

"The conditions of the air have made it unsafe for any families to attend the park or any of it's shows! It _needs_ to be shut down for condition checking!" one koopa shouted, slamming the table with his fist. Bowser imagined the koopa's head in place of his fist.

"You idiot, we can't shut down the park!" another koopa shouted, rolling her eyes. "The revenue that it brings in functions too much of the city to shut it down over pollution paranoia!"

"But if we don't check it, then who knows what health complications can pop up! Lawsuits, Miss Koopem, federal cases!"

"If someone happens to get sick over air that they've been breathing for _years_, then that is their fault, not ours!"

"Then what about tourists, hm? What do we do if _they_ get sick?"

"We don't do a damned thing! It is not our choice to shut down a major park that makes enough money to keep quite a few businesses within it running, we can't just close it!"

"We're going to shut it down, but only for a month for testing," Bowser spoke up, tired of their shrill voices getting louder. "If the tests come up as non-lethal, then we'll open it back up. If they come up as lethal, it'll be shut down and it'll be quarantined while the air is cleaned and replaced with artificial oxygen."

"Yes, Your Grace," Koopem agreed immediately. She'd been in an argument with Bowser before; she couldn't risk replacing her old burn wounds with fresh ones. They'd just healed. "We'll get the news out to the press right away."

"Good," Bowser nodded gruffly. "Is there anything else that's causing a problem?"

The many koopas and goombas in the room looked around at each other, talking quietly to see if there _was_ anything. The male koopa that had argued with Koopem before spoke up.

"There's nothing more, Your Brashness," he said matter-of-factly. "It seems that this meeting is over."

"Good," Bowser sighed, grinning with relief. He slumped onto the table and nestled his head into his arms after all of the others had left. "Man...I'm tired…"

He yawned and a spark or two of flame popped out. Kamek was there immediately, smacking his king in the back of the head with his wand. Bowser was up as soon as the pain settled in, roaring and swallowing fire, nearly choking himself. Kamek rolled his eyes and looked around him, seeing the charred walls and sighing in response.

"Ugh, I'm up, I'm up!" Bowser shouted, waving his arms around, as if trying to swat away his advisor. Then he scowled. "If I don't even have to be at this meeting anymore - which is _over_, by the way, maggot-breath - then why can't I sleep?"

"Because the representatives from the Mushroom Kingdom have arrived," Kamek responded. "You need to meet with _them_ now."

"Can I sleep after that?" Bowser mumbled, wiping his eyes. He had been having the best dream this morning, and now it was like a living nightmare.

Kamek let out a sigh before stopping at his king's glare. "Yes, Your Maliciousness. You can rest after that."

"Good," Bowser mumbled again, this time standing up. "Let's get this over with."

The two walked out of the meeting room, walking down two more hallways to a room strictly used for speaking with those in direct connection with other kingdoms. Bowser raised a brow, looking at the phone in the room surrounded by mushroom people suspiciously.

"I thought you said there were _representatives _here," Bowser hissed at Kamek, who smiled in return.

"I guess they're representing the phone call," he replied with a smirk. "They want you to speak with the king, but he can't be here presently."

"Why not?" Bowser sneered. "Am I not good enough for that pompous fungus brain?"

"No, he's gone on a peace mission with his wife. They're not sure how they're going to be gone, so they've set up this meeting now. They think it's the most convenient option."

"The most '_convenient_' option would have been seeing me in person," Bowser grumbled. "Tell them I'm not going to see them until they can meet with me face to face. I'm not wasting my precious time with some mush-headed losers who can't even face me because they're being goody-goody politicians."

Kamek nodded, then floated over to the representatives to tell them the short of what Bowser had said, leaving the offensive bits out. Bowser walked away as the magikoopa did this, waiting by the corner near the council room. Kamek floated out and over to his king.

"What'd they say?" Bowser asked, not looking directly at his advisor.

"They said that the King and Queen were disappointed, but they also understood. They promised to set up a time and place as soon as they got back."

Bowser snorted, a small bit of smoke drifting from his nostrils. "I bet they will."

He began to walk away, throwing an "I'm going back to bed" over his shoulder at Kamek, who shook his head. As Bowser made the agonizingly long walk back to his chambers, he thought about the Mushroom Kingdom. Kamek had been right, they had resources that the Darklands needed desperately. That little park debacle at his previous meeting was a big sign of that. The pollution from the volcano's smoke was making breathing in the Darklands for those who weren't koopas more and more difficult every year.

Not to mention the extreme lack of land that the Darklands had, considering its population. Millions and millions of Shy-Guys, Boos, Koopas, and Goombas lived in the Darklands, and more and more were becoming homeless because of the lack of land. Bowser couldn't get land through another kingdom's pure kindness, he and his ancestors had made enemies with pretty much everyone, and many of those kingdoms had either fallen, died out, or held a tough grudge.

Bowser ran a clawed hand through his red hair, stopping in his tracks. He should have taken that call, but now it was too late. He heard a plane start and fly off, and the engine wasn't bulky or loud, like his. It had to be the Mushroom people. He growled, and walked again, the destination this time to his gardens. This part of his castle always helped him think.

As he stepped through the threshold, he was almost instantaneously calmed by the mangled vines and the vicious piranha plants that had hefty muzzles strapped on. He walked about, circling the large area, mulling the situation over. Normally, he would push it aside and find the quickest solution, but clearly that wasn't going to work now. Not with the population growing faster than ever.

No, he needed a fix that would last long-term. Something with the Mushroom Kingdom would be preferred, since it had land that stretched from the moon to the sun, easily. Not to mention the plant life Kamek had mentioned, as well as the clean water.

"Wait…" Bowser mumbled to himself. "...isn't there a princess?"

He grinned, a plan forming in his mind as his circling turned to pacing, and that pacing increasing in speed. His teeth bared and his eyebrows furrowed, he pumped his fist in the air and laughed manicly. He ran out of the room, and into a room he had installed for some reason he couldn't remember, and was suddenly remembering.

"Kamek!" He shouted. "Get in here!"

A flash of blue smoke puffed before the king, then an old magikoopa. "Yes, Your Most Hatedness?"

"I want you to bring me a chair, the best ropes we have, and set it up so the chair is tied to that pulley-thing-" he pointed up to a pulley-system that sat above a faintly-carved circle. "-and make the chair big enough to fit in that circle, but not small enough to see it."

"What are you planning on doing with this room, sire?" Kamek asked, writing down the information as quickly as Bowser ordered it.

"Something that's going to help the Darklands," Bowser replied proudly, already forming the finishing touches of his plan in his mind.

Kamek nodded, unsure of what his king was talking about but pretending to know so Bowser's new found pride wouldn't be hindered by some confusion. He poofed out of the room, heading out to look for the requested items. Meanwhile, Bowser got one of his ships ready to leave for the Mushroom Kingdom.

It was time to take drastic measures.

She was easy prey, just sitting in her garden, obviously distracted in her thoughts. It would be too simple to take her then, so he prepared the ship, getting closer. He tensed his body, bracing for the jump off to grab her. Then he saw a tiny man in red come out and talk to the princess. Growling in frustration and impatience, he forced himself to wait for the little man to leave. This wait didn't last long.

He jumped down and grabbed the princess and yanked her up into the air, feeling her head bump against the hard rim of his shell a little too hard and he threw her over his shoulder. He laughed loudly at the little man's screams to put her down.

"If you want her, come and get her, Shorty!" Bowser shouted down as he gripped onto the ladder of the airship. "Just try it!"

He climbed up and kept her over his shoulder, suddenly aware that she was unconscious. Well, that made this _much_ easier. As they made the long travel back to Bowser's main castle, he sat her on the floor, her back leaning against one of the shorter walls of the airship. He leaned down and observed her. Her hair was brownish-red, and long. Messy, too. But it looked soft, and clean.

Her head was about the size of his fist, and she could easily sit on his arm. He smirked at how strong he was, strong enough to lift her over his shoulder, but in reality, she was just tiny. He stood up straight again, picking her up so she wouldn't slam her head even more as they landed. This time, he didn't let her head hit his shell by holding the back of her head and settling it gently. But he still couldn't help it as it thunked against the rim as he walked.

As he walked through the entrance farther back, he found it easier to find the room he planned to keep her in than before. He sat her in the chair, and called for Kamek again. As the old magikoopa entered the room, he gasped in surprise at their new "guest" and the huge red spot on her forehead.

"Sire, is this Princess Peach Toadstool from the-" he began, his voice showing a slightly intimidating mix of surprise, irritation, and a bit of fear.

"Yep," Bowser interrupted proudly.

"Excuse me, sire, but _what were you thinking_?!" Kamek shrieked.

"I was _thinking_ that without Peach, we could easily take over the Mushroom Kingdom. It's helpless over there without a ruler, and they barely have an army to stop us with. It's the perfect plan, Kamek!" He grinned again, more than happy with himself and his plan.

The older koopa choked back a sigh - he was _full_ of them today - and poofed away with a "I'm sure it is, Your Evilness."

Bowser just waited for her to wake up, his grin never fading.

_End of Chapter_


	4. Getting Her Way

Peach woke up later a little groggy, but feeling a lot better than before. Then she moved her hands and felt the ropes. Again. A low groan as she remembered the events of the day. Suddenly she heard the shuffle from before, when she'd formally met her captor.

"Are you there, Bowser?" she called out. She got a grunt in reply, and was comforted and terrified by the familiarity of the voice. "Did you take care of your castle?"

"It was obliterated, actually," Bowser growled. "Someone blew it up. Apparently, they're looking for you. I've had to set up my forces in all areas my castles reside in."

Peach's eyebrows raised. "Do you know who did it?" she asked.

Bowser stepped forward again, pulling a large stool with him. He settled it and sat down on it. His thick fingers ran through his red hair in frustration.

"I've been told it's some guy named Mario," he grumbled, then raised a brow as she gasped and tried not to smile in response. "You know him, don't you?"

"He's my best friend," Peach answered after swallowing her excitement. "I've known him for forever. I didn't know he was capable of destroying a castle, though. I can't believe he's coming to save me!"

Bowser scowled. "He's going to be dead by then. I've sent out my best men."

Peach faltered. "Did...did you say-"

"Yeah. I did," Bowser interrupted. Then he tipped his head to the side. "What? Not expecting your little hero to get the same treatment anyone who tries to defeat me gets? Or are you just scared that he's going to be killed before he comes to save you?"

"Stop it!" Peach shouted. "That's not fair! He's only trying to help me!"

Bowser raised an eyebrow, and brought his head back to its former position. "Oh, really? You'd rather be helped than stay here with me?"

"I'm tied up in a chair above lava that will melt off my skin, what do _you_ think?!" Peach retorted, her voice more and more shrill with each word.

"No need to shout, Peach," the Koopa King chuckled. His humor had returned at her mix of anger and fear, it seemed. "I'm right here." He spread his arms out wide. Peach looked at his skin without thinking, noting how strangely soft it looked.

"That's why I'm shouting," Peach replied with a smirk.

Bowser pulled in his arms again and crossed them. "You've got a mouth on you," he commented, leaning back and putting his arms behind his head, resting his right leg on his knee. "That, unfortunately, won't help you too much."

"I'm not scared of you," Peach growled, her anger - which she couldn't quite explain then - was overwhelming her. "I know Mario's going to get past those stupid defenses of yours and he's going to get me out of here." Her eyebrows furrowed dangerously, her eyes glowing.

Bowser mirrored her expression, a dark expression overcoming his previous amused look. He leaned over, both feet planting themselves on the ground, and both hands resting on his knees. His fingers faced each other on his legs as he leaned in closer, his voice reaching a low, almost terrifying sound.

"Listen here, Peach," he growled, baring his teeth. Princess Peach recoiled slightly. "I've got you here, in my castle, tied to my chair with my rope. You're going to understand that and get it through your head, got it?" Peach didn't nod, but snorted slightly in response. He growled, and earned a nod (with a poorly contained eye roll). "And I'm going to sit in here with you." This was said with the most arrogant and frustrating smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Peach demanded, her voice wavering. Was he really going to stay in that one room with her? "Don't you have your own kingdom to run?"

He relaxed again, leaning back once more. "Well of course I do, it's just that everyone is so distracted with the prospect of actually getting some of your kingdom's land, there really isn't anything to take care of other than stuff that I can have brought to me here." He smirked, his teeth, which had been fully bared before, only peeking out now. "We're gonna be roomies for a bit, which I just know you won't mind."

"And why are you so sure of that?" Peach asked, her voice betraying her. She was worried about the idea of Bowser being in this room with her all of the time.

"Because if you're not, I can just let you take a dip in that lava pool-" he pointed to the lava with his thick finger "-and let you see its charm again."

Peach swallowed hard, not even trying to hold back her fear. Being thrown into lava wasn't exactly her idea of a situation to seem courageous in. She decided to just ignore his presence, it would hopefully let her get over her nagging fear that Mario wouldn't be able to save her. She didn't want to doubt him, but she was also a little worried that a plumber may not be able to get through this tyrant's waves of military men. It didn't help that she was near passing out again from the heat.

Bowser noticed her extreme sweating and cocked a brow. "What's got you so sweaty?"

"I'm in a room full of lava and hovering right above it," Peach answered, her voice deadpan. She almost started panting but thought better of it, given present company. "Being forced to sit in one place in a giant, _thick_ dress isn't really helping the matter any."

Bowser grumbled, running a hand through his hair and back down again, rubbing his face. He let his eyes peek over his hand at the princess, a helpless look in his eyes.

"You're really obnoxious, you know that?" he commented, his voice muffled by his hand.

"_I'm_ obnoxious?" Peach scoffed. "I think you should look at yourself before you speak."

"At least I'm not complaining about a little heat!" Bowser retorted, his hand landing on his knee with an audible _smack_. "It's not even that hot in here!"

"Maybe for a brute like you, but I'm actually _not_ made of scales and ivory," Peach replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm actually warm-blooded! I need to be kept at a survivable temperature."

Bowser cursed under his breath, saying things that, if heard by her, would horrify Peach. He finally shook his head and reached out for her chair.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice full of suspicion.

"I'm getting you down so you can take off your dress," Bowser replied cooly. Peach's eyes widened and she almost shrieked. Instead, she just let her horror paint her face for Bowser to groan at. "What? You said the dress was heavy."

"Well that doesn't mean that I should _take it off_!" Peach replied, her voice absolutely shrill.

Bowser took his hands away and stood back, his eyes giving away his overwhelming desire to just send the whiny princess back home. His arms crossed and he stared her down, making her squirm under his angered gaze. His irises could almost be mistaken for flames at that point.

"What should you do then?" he asked, his voice practically dripping with irritation.

"I...I sh...shouldn't…" Peach stumbled over her words, much too intimidated by Bowser to speak. He seemed to change personalities completely when he was angry. She swallowed hard, willing her scraps of leftover confidence back to answer his dare of a question. "I shouldn't be here, in this room."

"And why not? You are a prisoner, remember?"

"I certainly do," Peach said, swallowing again. "But how good of a prisoner can I be when I'm nearing death by a heat stroke?"

Bowser thought this over. "Fair enough." He rubbed his chin and looked down at the ground, mulling the matter over in his head. His gaze, less angry and more concentrated in thought, flicked back up to the princess. "If I untie you long enough to move you, will you try to escape?"

"So long as I'm not abused," Peach promised. "I want to be treated with care. If you can remember, I'm royalty as well, therefore I'm more of a political prisoner than someone you just picked off the streets."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Bowser mumbled. He reached for her again. "Keep still," he ordered.

She stayed as still as a statue as Bowser untied the ropes he had on her. Just as she was going to fall to a very painful, fiery death, Bowser got her by the arms and place her securely on the ground beside him. With her arms free, she stretched and felt several little pops in her back, groaning and smiling at the same time in the mix of achiness, relief, and pleasure.

"Being tied up like that really isn't good for me, it seems," she commented, smiling again. "So, off to wherever I'm going?"

Bowser seemed to just then realize what her leaving the room meant. His eyes widened and he looked down at her, her face displaying patience. He looked around and chuckled nervously, shuffling out of the room, throwing Peach a "wait right there for a minute" over his shoulder. Once he had left the room, Peach decided on looking around. Of course her view hadn't changed too much, just more stable.

Just then, she noticed a little column of stone right under the chair where she had been sitting. She gasped in shock and her eyebrows furrowed. If the ropes on her chair had broken, or something along those lines, she would have been fine? What a trick. Maybe Bowser wasn't so thick-skulled after all.

"How morbidly interesting," she mumbled under her breath. "Does that mean he's had prisoners before?" Her eyebrows knitted tighter together, her confusion and worry becoming a little overwhelming. "Am I not the first one?" She bit her gloved knuckle, mulling it over. "Maybe...maybe…" She couldn't come up with anything. "Clearly he's had someone in here before, right? But, wait, the floors...easily fixable, apparently. But…" She turned away from the column, a little too freaked out to look at it any longer.

When she turned, she faced Bowser again, this time flanked by an older koopa. Peach guessed it was his advisor, especially considering the situation and the elder's apparent calmness about it. She blushed heavily upon realizing that they'd been there long enough to hear her talking to herself. Just as she was about to explain herself with whatever she could come up with, the elder held up his hand with a knowing, somewhat toothy smile. He was missing some teeth, but otherwise, it helped calm her embarrassment.

"I know it's a bit of an...upsetting, topic, Princess," he said, his voice showing that he really did understand. "But King Bowser isn't one to just kidnap someone. Really, you are the first."

"But...but that column-" Peach began, her voice a little helpless.

"Yes, this room has been served for a similar purpose, but that was with other kings from long before Bowser," the older koopa explained. "Actually, this was part of an elaborate dungeon before, to punish those who committed crimes against the royal family. After Bowser's father became king, though, that dungeon was split into several rooms for whatever purpose he could come up with. Once Lord Bowser was born, they were abandoned. This is the first time this room or any of the others have been used in ages."

"I see," Peach hummed, still a little uneasy at the thought.

"Put it beside you, you're not going to be here anymore anyways," the elder reminded her. "I'm surprised, though."

"Why is that?"

"Because, His Highness is very hard to convince of anything, really. His stubbornness is quite frustrating around here. You must have one strong pull."

Peach giggled to herself, especially when Bowser glared daggers at his assumed advisor.

"Now, Princess, getting back to the original matter, you're going to be staying in one of the spare guest bed chambers," the koopa told her. "It's in the same hall as King Bowser's chamber, for security reasons. I'm sure you understand."

Peach nodded. "I'm also going to guess I can't leave that room?"

"You would be right," the koops nodded. Then, he jolted into fresh attention, gasping and laughing for some reason. "How rude of me! I haven't even told you my name. I am Kamek, one of the most powerful magikoopas in the Darklands." He bowed.

"Don't let your ego inflate too much, maggot-breath," Bowser grumbled. "You'll float away."

"Excuse his rudeness, Princess. Come with me, I'll lead you to your room."

"Why, thank you, Kamek," Peach said with gratitude. As she left the suddenly overwhelmingly hot room, Bowser preparing to follow, she stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

She almost laughed out loud at the look on his face. He followed regardless, hot on her heels. They obviously weren't going to be taking a short walk - the castle Bowser resided in was _massive_! - so Peach decided to let her mind wander as her legs continued to follow. She observed the intricate carvings in the stone walls, shaped like vines and thornbushes.

She also took a good look at the paintings hung up perfectly straight on the walls. They showed older koopa men, looking strong and intimidating as leaders. All tyrants, all monsters. She recognized quite a few of them from her history lessons back at home, back when the Darklands used to attack the Mushroom Kingdom for whatever reasons the thick-skulled leaders could come up with.

It was funny, thinking back on it, how little her instructor used the word "koopa" to describe them. He used words like "monsters" and "brutes", but not really "koopa". For a split second she pitied Bowser, especially since he clearly hadn't made any attacks on her kingdom in his time of rule, but then again, she _was_ being led to the room that she was going to be trapped in for a not very clearly estimated amount of time.

She supposed Bowser didn't really need pity, anyways. He seemed to be a brick wall all on his own. It was the stability of that wall that she questioned heavily. She glanced behind her and found Bowser staring right at her. She turned her head back to the floor in front of her and blushed again. Why did his stare have to be so...intense? It made her feel so exposed and vulnerable, like he could rip her to shreds at any minute, taking away the fact that he literally _could_, with his claws.

Suddenly she bumped right into Kamek, snapping into attention. The magikoopa stood still, used to Bowser's stronger, more solid form knocking into him. He smiled at the princess and gestured to a large door with beautifully carved iron markings and an intricate door knob, made of a metal she couldn't place.

"Here you are, Princess!" Kamek said, his voice a little more chipper than Bowser could stomach. "I believe that King Bowser can handle it from here. Right, sire?"

Bowser grunted in reply. "Come on, I have stuff to do."

Peach cocked a brow at him, smirking a bit. "What happened to everyone being distracted at my appearance?"

"Just get in there," Bowser growled. "I'd rather swamp myself with work than deal with your little prissy behind anyways."

"How kind of you, Your Nastiness," Peach scoffed with a grin. "Now, what's the plan from here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean as far as being in here goes. You know, food, hygiene, all of the things someone usually is graced with when kept prisoner?" Peach explained, keeping her tone light.

She didn't have any other reason to not be a little more happy, especially when she was going to have her own room. Then again, as far as this castle's hospitality goes, she knew that she shouldn't expect much more than a cot and a chamberpot, as disgusted as she was with the thought.

"Oh, right," Bowser hummed as he opened the door, impatient with Peach's stalling. "You're gonna get the usual three meals thing, but how much you get is going to depend on your cooperation. There's a bathroom attached to the room, so just do whatever you need to in there. It's got a shower with a bathtub, too."

As he stepped into the bedroom, Peach couldn't see much. She still got excited that she wasn't going to have to take care of her business in a pot, as well. She was slightly anxious about what the rest of the room was like, but when she got to see it, any doubts in her mind washed away.

It wasn't quite her normal room, but it was still enough to make her feel right at home without realizing it. The carpet was plush, and a dark cherry color. The bed was enormous, almost big enough to hold three Bowsers and still have room for Peach. The blankets and sheets were soft-looking, and they were a mix of black and red, the red similar to the carpets. The walls were a darker stone than the previous room, almost charred black. She could also count ten pillows that appeared simply heavenly.

"_This_ is my room?" Peach asked breathlessly, as excited as a child seeing candy dipped in pure sugar crystals.

"Yeah," Bowser replied, his voice not as irritated as before.

He turned to face her, his expression betraying his apparent "evil villain" facade. The two said nothing, only looking at each other for a minute or two before Bowser walked off. Before he left the room entirely, he looked back over at her.

"Dinner's in a few hours, so entertain yourself until then."

He turned, closed the door, and audibly locked the door from the outside. Peach, in response, flopped on the bed, kicked off her shoes, and took a _much_ needed nap.

_End of Chapter_


	5. Dinner

Bowser mumbled curses under his breath as he stomped to his room, just two doors down from Peach's. Of course Kamek made them as close as possible, and put her in one of the nicest rooms. Obviously the old fart had a soft spot for pretty princesses. The king rolled his eyes at the thought, not letting the princess's obvious good looks get the better of his thoughts.

Yes, it was better to think of things other than her lemon-colored hair, or her soft pink lips. He had to get his mind off of her delicate frame, with her waist so easy to wrap his thick hand around. Not to mention her eyes, exactly like pools of the cleanest water. Also her skin, smooth and perfect, just like porcelain.

Bowser's eyes popped open as he realized what he was doing, standing in the middle of his room.

"Damn it!" he yelled, kicking the chair closest to him. It shattered against the wall. "Oh, great!" he groaned, rolling his eyes. He flopped onto his bed, his face flushed. He tried to rub the blush away, but found it useless. "She's just a girl, a prisoner. There is no reason to think of her that way. She's a piece of the puzzle I need to get the Mushroom Kingdom all to myself..."

He spoke like this for hours, lying around in different positions. On his bed, on the floor, on his stomach, on his back, pacing holes into the floor, whatever helped him think at the time. He managed to get this convincing into his head for the time being, pushing out the scandalous thoughts of the princess.

Of course until dinner was ready.

As a nameless maid poked her head into the door to make Bowser aware of this, he sat up, looking at a nearby clock. He had been locked up in his room for three hours, talking to himself. He groaned and flopped back on his bed. The maid cleared her throat nervously.

"I heard you," he growled, sitting up again and glaring at her dangerously. She squeaked in fear and apologized madly, causing Bowser to sigh and hold out his hand to stop her. She hushed immediately. "Listen, go get Kamek and send him to Princess Peach. He needs to get her ready for dinner."

The maid didn't question, knowing her boundaries well. She rushed off at his dismissal to find the old magikoopa. Upon her leave, Bowser stood up and stretched, not feeling the need for a shower. Instead, he left for the dining hall, a massive area with several tables that were placed for several reasons. His shortest one was for when he ate alone, and any added length depended on how many were joining him.

He tended to use the short table quite a bit.

Tonight he ordered another chair to be added to his usual table. As he sat down, he watched the door for Kamek to shuffle through with his "guest". It took about fifteen or twenty minutes of waiting, but she eventually came out. She had on a new dress, fresh and clean, and a little more detailed than her other. The gem on her chest was more prominent, and the pink was a little darker, more mature looking. Her neckline was lowered as well, showing just a bit of her cleavage.

She was captivating the entire room. Damn her, he'd just gotten over drooling over her. He'd done it for three hours. That meant that there was three hours of talking to himself like an idiot wasted because the princess he'd kidnapped was absolutely stunning in this new dress. Her hair was even tied up, the strands falling perfectly into the messy form he'd come to memorize.

Of course she was perfectly made up as well, her makeup applied expertly, most likely with Kamek's magic. That must also be how she got that dress, which she seemed to be glowing in. Said magikoopa led Peach to her chair, grunting at Bowser to cue his attention. Bowser took a moment or two to realize that Kamek wanted him to pull out her chair for her, and he shook his head. She was a grownup, she could do it on her own!

Peach caught on to their little stare-off and pulled out her chair, sitting down and pulling it in swiftly. She sat straight up with her hands on her lap, her posture perfect. Everything about her seemed to be just perfect, really. He wondered when she would notice his sudden shift in thoughts and became self-conscious.

"Food!" he roared.

At his command, two large silver trays were brought out and placed in front of the royals. Peach gasped as the lid was taken off. Expertly cooked steak big enough to feed fifteen clones of Peach, and a pot of mashed potatoes drowning in gravy. She was overwhelmed by the sheer size of her portions, her eyes as wide as the steak on her plate. Bowser looked at her quizzically.

"What's wrong?" he grunted, mouth full of steak and potatoes. There was also some gravy smeared on his lips.

"This is just...the size...it's…" Peach stuttered, still shocked by the size. "Back at home, I usually have about less than half of this!"

"Well, this is how much I eat," Bowser replied, looking back at his food. "It's pretty good. I've got some great chefs in there."

Peach didn't reply, instead taking his word. If he was eating it so wolfishly, clearly it had to be good in some respect, right? She swallowed the idea of the hunk of meat crushing her and grabbed her fork and knife, delicately cutting into it. When a piece big enough to really chew and small enough to fit in her mouth was cut, she bit it off of her fork and chewed, tasting it.

It was divine. The meat was warm so it almost melted in her mouth, but also chewy enough to really let her savor the smoky flavor that was wonderfully overwhelming. She couldn't help but to shiver in pleasure at the food. Bowser suppressed a laugh at her moan of approval.

"I told you," he muttered. "I've got the best chefs in the world!"

He thrusted his fork into the air, throwing some mashed potatoes up as well. They splashed on his face and near Peach's plate. He grumbled to himself, wiping off where the menacing food had landed on his cheek and nose. It was Peach's turn to giggle. He cocked a brow at her.

"What's so funny?" he asked, putting an elbow on the table as he leaned in closer.

"Oh, oh, it's nothing," the princess replied. "Just that little failed declaration of superiority. You still have some food right here." She pointed at her jaw, in the lower right region. Bowser wiped off where she'd pointed. "Not to mention how...odd this day was."

"Odd? I think it's been pretty average," the king joked. "Other than...what happened today?" He tapped his chin in false thought.

Peach raised a slender eyebrow at him. "Well, you got a new houseguest, as involuntary as it was."

He seemed to light up in realization. "Right! I got you here." He grinned.

They kept this banter up for a little while longer, Peach somehow making it through half of the steak and a good amount of the mashed potatoes in the meantime. Clearly he was better like this, more lighthearted and generally more tolerable to be around. Given the situation, she was enjoying herself. He was quite the entertainer when he didn't have murder in his eyes, though she couldn't blame his anger. She hadn't exactly been the most understanding person earlier, practically sounding like a bratty teenager.

She felt bad for acting so selfishly, especially when he seemed like he wasn't planning on hurting her anyways. The column told her that much. She looked down at her hands, ashamed. He looked curious about this mood shift, but didn't say anything.

"Um, Bowser?" she said quietly, looking back up at him. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did earlier. It wasn't proper, even for a kidnapping."

He blinked. And then he blinked again. And again. Then he burst out laughing. Peach blushed, embarrassed. Why was he laughing? She was trying to be the good person here, and he was laughing and making her feel like a fool. She looked down at her hands again, noticing that there was a small tear in her gloves. She'd have to fix that.

Bowser looked at her again, studying, getting over his laughing fit by coughing and drinking some water. She was upset again, he could figure out that much. His eyebrows knitted together, and Bowser felt a little guilty. They'd been having such a nice time before, and now the silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Hey, Peach," Bowser grunted. She looked up, her attention grabbed for the moment. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad, but you don't need to apologize. I would probably be worse if I was taken from my home out of the blue then forced to be dangled in the air, tied up."

Peach smiled slightly at the thought, Bowser's legs kicking wildly, a string of impressive curses escaping his mouth madly. Bowser brightened at her smile, as tiny as it was.

"You know, I really like that bed you arranged for me, though," Peach commented, sighing in memory of it. "It's so soft, I slept so well on it. I even had some dream about a pipe singing some song I couldn't remember. I slept earlier, too, in the lava room, but that wasn't as comfortable." She laughed, then coughed to stop herself at Bowser's stare. "Well, anyways, I guess I want to thank you for the room, Bowser. It was very kind of you to let me stay there."

He shook his head and chuckled. "Well, you probably would have continued your little sarcastic streak if I hadn't. Besides, it was Kamek's idea to put you there, not mine."

Peach tilted her head to the side slightly in amusement. "Oh really? Where would I have gone if you had the say?"

"Probably in the Chain Chomp pit," he joked again, faking a serious face.

Peach smiled nervously. "I have no idea what that is and I don't think I want to know."

"You probably don't."

Silence.

"But, no, really, I don't know where I would have wanted to put you," Bowser laughed. "That's why I got Kamek. I probably wouldn't have put you in a nice room like that, though."

"Oh, really?" Peach dared, grinning as well. His smile was infectious, what could she say? "Well, good thing Kamek got to choose. I really like where I'm at."

"So no complaints?" Bowser asked, his grin melting into a smirk.

Peach rolled her eyes. "No complaints."

Bowser laughed and Peach laughed, both continuing their eating and conversation - which was quite lively - until they couldn't take another bite. Then their trays were taken away, and they took a walk around the halls near their rooms. Peach wanted to see outside of the castle, since her room didn't have any windows, but she didn't dare ask.

But she could see some of the kingdom, from the window they stopped at in the hall. It had a windowpane big enough for the both of them to sit on and be at a comfortable distance, so they sat and watched the little dots of life scurry about below.

"This is so strange," Peach suddenly said with a laugh, breaking their peaceful silence. "I'm sitting at a window, watching the kingdom that's trying to take over mine, while I'm sitting at the castle of the leader of this kingdom, technically his prisoner, and feeling totally relaxed."

"It's probably the heat," Bowser replied. "The lava in this place heats it up. It saves a lot of money in heating bills. The smog is awful, though."

Peach looked over at him in surprise. "Smog?"

"You're sitting in a volcano right now, Peach," Bowser said with a laugh. "Biggest in the kingdom. The smog from it spreads throughout the cities, and this one right here-" he pointed at the one they were observing "-gets affected the most. We've had to use artificial oxygen and thorough cleanups, just for tourists or new additions to the population."

Peach looked away, and back out the window. She just then noticed how foggy and unclear it looked, the appearance blurred out by a filter of gray. She gasped in surprise, then in concern for his people. He didn't look at her. Admitting this vulnerability was a lot for him, especially for this girl he'd barely known longer than a day.

It seems that she was just that easy to trust. She seemed like the type who would feel more pity than the "HA!" attitude many of his other enemies would have towards this matter. And he was right, he realized as she put her tiny hand on his arm. He looked over at her, his eyes widening at her suddenly glassy eyes.

"I...I'm sorry your kingdom has to go through so much…" she whispered, unable to speak any louder. "I wish I could help in some way…"

Bowser felt guilty about his entire plan right then. He was ready to call off his troopas and bring them home before they got to the Mushroom Kingdom, any part of it. He had his mind set as he excused himself, calling for Kamek. The old magikoopa seemed to have been sleeping beforehand, because he was yawning and rubbing his eyes underneath his thick glasses.

"Yes, Lord Bowser?" he asked, stifling another yawn.

"I want you to call off any and all koopatroopas going to the Mushroom Kingdom for the takeover mission," Bowser ordered. "I need it done before any damage is done."

"Sire, are you feeling alright?" Kamek asked, putting out a hand, not bothering to hide the mixture of shock and worry in his voice.

"I'm feeling fine, Kamek! Now do what I said!" Bowser roared quietly, trying not to call attention to himself by Peach. "I want it done A.S.A.P.!"

Kamek nodded, still unsure, and poofed away, heading off to call off the troopas as Bowser had ordered. It took a little bit for the troopas to understand that their mission was called off, but they eventually got it. They would be back to their homes by sunrise.

Meanwhile, Bowser had shuffled back to Peach, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning nervously. At least she couldn't be mad at him for taking over her kingdom while her parents had been gone and she had been as well, albeit because of him. It was safe and he suddenly had high hopes of working some kind of treaty out with Peach herself.

He hoped that she had enough pull around her kingdom to declare such a thing, a treaty between the Darklands and the Mushroom Kingdom. Suddenly the idea was a sweet thing in his mind. They talked for a little bit longer, mainly about little things, but they made it feel like it was the most important conversation in the world. If someone were to walk by, they wouldn't guess that she had been kidnapped by him just about seven hours ago.

Peach scooted slightly closer to Bowser, her young heart fluttering slightly. It was so terrifyingly easy to forget that she wasn't there on her own will, and that she wasn't supposed to feel so comfortable around him. She blushed slightly as he mimicked her action, sporting a blush of his own. She smiled, more than content in that moment. It was as though she couldn't even remember where she was, who she was, or why she should hate everything about this moment.

All she knew was the sound of her heartbeat, having since picked up a bit, and the gentle sounds of movement and cars honking and shouting in the window below, much more clear once she and Bowser were more quiet.

It wasn't long before she realized how wrong the moment actually was, and how fast everything suddenly seemed. Her head felt like it was spinning now, overwhelmed by everything leading up to that moment. She was then like lead, everything heavy and too much to bear. Her heartbeat became rapid as she rushed to her feet.

Bowser looked over, concern painting his expression. "Are you okay?"

"Um, I think...I think I want to go...go back to my room…" Peach forced out, her throat dry. She felt silly for reacting so much to such a simple moment, but everything that was wrong and immoral and disgusting about that moment was heavy on her shoulders.

Bowser looked down for a split second, then back at her, trying desperately to hide his disappointment. "Oh, alright. Follow me."

He shuffled slowly, stretching out time that he wanted to have with her so badly, leading her back to her chambers. Eventually they made it, and Peach hurriedly wished Bowser goodnight before rushing into her room and practically slamming the door in his face.

Bowser looked down, disappointed that she had suddenly wanted their time done. It wasn't so much surprising, but it still hurt a bit. They had been having fun and even what could be mistaken as bonding. But it seemed she remembered where she was and why.

Well, at least his troopas weren't taking over her kingdom. She would be happy when she realized that, hopefully. He walked off, every now and then glancing at her door. The empty room between theirs suddenly gave him an image. They were both laughing, and happy, and stumbling in like drunken fools. Suddenly, in his mind, the door slammed hard, and muffled laughter could be heard from within.

He sighed, almost ashamed of himself of imagining a lady such as Princess Peach taking things that far with him, especially when they had just met that day.

Ah, well, it was probably just a phase.

_End of Chapter_


	6. Alone With Her Thoughts

Peach stumbled into her room, taking a few deep breaths. She knew she was overreacting, but it didn't keep her from feeling so strange about it. She was unsure of how things got from the unwilling captured and the vile captor to two young royals from separate kingdoms enjoying an evening together. It felt as though it was some kind of date, and that made her feel even worse.

"I need to get this off my mind," Peach said to herself matter-of-factly.

She decided to do that by walking into the bathroom and turning on the shower on its highest setting, taking off her gloves as well. As she let her bare arm in, she braced herself for a little sting from the hot water. Instead, her skin was scalded. Squealing and reacting immediately, she threw her arm back out. She turned the dial down extremely, where it would be near freezing in her home. When she put her arm back in, she was happier to feel the type of hot water she was used to.

"Volcano, right," she muttered to herself. "I should have remembered that."

She undressed as quickly as she could and hopped in, sighing dreamily as the warm water kissed her skin, like a lover's embrace. She let the water run through her hair and run down her skin in little trails for a while before looking for something to wash herself with. She found two bottles of what she assumed was shampoo and conditioner, as well as a taller, slimmer bottle that proudly boasted the fact that it was body wash.

She used the body wash first, a little more comfortable with using something that said what it was. After she felt her body was clean enough, she picked up the two bottles and chose the heavier bottle, having learned how quickly conditioner could become light in one's hand. She was correct to assume what it was, and it somehow smelled like peaches as well. She wondered for a moment if Kamek had put the shampoo and conditioners there, because they _both_ smelled like peaches.

She giggled to herself, finding it somewhat funny how things had developed in such a short amount of time that day. Taking away the point in time that could easily misconstrued as romantic - which was something that she wasn't keen on thinking about - her time at the Darklands castle wasn't too bad. It was easy to remember the look on his face from before, the outright hatred he seemed to feel at the time.

Then again, it was also easy to remember his apparent shift in mood at dinnertime. She had felt so wonderful after her nap, and even better with the dress Kamek had created for her, even if the neckline made her a little nervous. It had been stunning, and it felt like Bowser had noticed that as well. She blushed, remembering the way his gaze seemed to burn her alive, but in a way that was anything but painful.

She pushed the memory away, not wanting another possible heart attack from the idea of a romantic prospect of her relationship with the Koopa King. Of course her realization that she was still in the shower helped her momentarily forget. She also noticed that the water temperature hadn't changed, though her fingers were pruning pretty badly.

"Thank mushroom for lava energy," she mumbled to herself.

She was then overcome with sleepiness, and looked at the clock. She gasped when she realized it was almost one thirty in the morning. She hadn't realized how long she had been awake, and now it was a heavy burden on her shoulders. Without dressing - what was there to dress _in_? Kamek may have been kind enough to give her a dinner dress, but he hadn't quite thought about sleep wear - and wrapping her fuzzy, warm enough towel tightly around her form, she slipped into her bed, which she suddenly remembered was simply heavenly.

With a large smile, she nestled herself under the thick blankets, the towel still tight around her, and drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, she could hear distorted music, but the type of distortion that was comforting. It almost sounded like a child playing piano after a few lessons, not perfect, but still nice to hear. She seemed to be dancing, but she didn't know who she was dancing with. All she could figure was that her partner was large, and not the best at dancing himself.

Upon waking up, she found that the towel she had had around her before was opened, most likely from her bad habit of tossing and turning in her sleep. Thankfully the covers had hidden her naked form relatively well, because there was a set of fresh clothes on the dresser beside her bed. She got up, put her towel on one of the banister poles on her bed (being unsure of where else to put it, as Kamek and Bowser hadn't given her anything to place her dirty laundry in), and got herself dressed.

She was a tad surprised to find a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that looked like it would fit a little more loosely than she would prefer. But, they had been nice enough to give her clothes. Then she realized that they had been there before she fell asleep, and she just hadn't really looked at them, but did remember seeing a small lump on her dresser. She blushed, a tad embarrassed that she hadn't seen something or acknowledged the fact that Kamek - Bowser couldn't have, he was with her all night - had left her some pajamas for her to sleep in.

Knowing she couldn't just parade naked all day, especially since Bowser seemed capable of barging in or sending in people to walk in, she sighed and quickly dressed herself, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable at the lack of a tight corset that she normally wore, as well as the heavy petticoats and smooth fabric of her dress. She normally got dressed in her dress in the mornings, but felt like she should wear the clothes given to her, mainly because they did seem comfortable, and they were also clean.

As she continued to wear them, she became accustomed to the feeling. The fabric was soft, and had obviously recently been cleaned. After getting over the weird feeling of the new clothes, she started to venture around her room. She hadn't quite had the opportunity to look around the previous day, what with her napping and near heart attack. Now she was observing the cracks in the walls and the insides of her dresser and bedside table.

She was a little disappointed to find that the only source of entertainment in her room was just a small pop-up book about the history of the Darklands. She read through it quickly, then read it again when she noticed something a little odd…

"Who…?" she murmured, touching the strange pop-up figure. "Why does this person look so familiar…?"

The pop-up figure was a strong looking male with a mushroom cap on his head. He seemed to be of strong military importance. He held a long sword that was buried deep into the shadow of someone who kind of looked like the koopatroopa from the day before. She gasped when she realized that, yes, he was being stabbed and killed. By a mushroom military leader. She wanted to snap the book shut and throw it back into wherever she had found it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was something about the halfway shadowed face of the mushroom that was just so familiar.

Just as she thought she was finally figuring it out, Kamek popped into the room with no warning, startling her. She squeaked in surprise and looked up at him, snapping the pop-up book shut as the magikoopa glanced down at it. She coughed to bring his attention back up to her face.

"Am I needed, Kamek?" she asked daintily.

The old magikoopa shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. Lord Bowser has, instead of your previous arrangement, requested that you eat in your room. I have also taken the liberty of asking the maids to clean your dress for you, so feel free to change into it whenever you like after it's dried."

"Thank you, Kamek," Peach nodded thankfully. She was worried that she would never see her poor gown again. "But I must know, why won't Bowser grace me with the pleasure of dining with him?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but he said that you would eventually understand."

Peach thought it over, then blushed as she realized. "Ah, yes, right."

Then Kamek blew a whistle, which had an almost melodious sound, and two maids came in with two trays of food that seemed much too big for breakfast alone. She couldn't help but to smirk slightly, knowing yet again that the portions would be too big. It was probably difficult for someone with an obviously lonely life like Bowser's to remember that other people live in different sizes.

As the first tray was set before her, she opened it gingerly, not wanting to make the metal clatter. She gasped and then began laughing quietly when she saw that it was a little bowl of cereal, something she could finish easily. Kamek cleared his throat, making Peach remember that he was there. She giggled nervously and thanked him, hoping he would either leave or say something to break the suddenly nerve-wracking silence.

"You're very welcome," he finally said, tipping his head. He seemed unbothered by the quiet.

More silence. Peach swallowed hard, then took a bite of her cereal before it got soggy. She chewed, and Kamek, for some reason, found that to be the perfect time to finally leave. Peach took a deep breath and felt herself relax a little more. She never had been comfortable in silence with someone she just barely knew. Kamek was nice, but he clearly wasn't the best in this type of situation.

Whatever the situation she was in actually was. Was she still a prisoner? She didn't feel like it. She felt more like a guest at that point. But then there was her basic panic attack from the night before, when Bowser had become overly familiar with her. She had felt so calm at first, but then remembering why she was there, what he was doing to her kingdom, and his seemingly short temper. She had realized that she was feeling something weird and that she knew she shouldn't be feeling it.

But she couldn't deny the sense of comforting familiarity that she felt when she was near Bowser. Even when her heart had dropped to her stomach, she had felt like Bowser was an old friend. Maybe it was his sudden softness, and the way he had been so obviously concerned about his kingdom. Yes, she knew that he was going to try to take over hers to improve his own, but he still seemed so...sad about it.

She knew that she couldn't relate, and that was thanks to her parents' constant control of the Mushroom Kingdom. They wouldn't let her get involved with the politics of their kingdom because she was always considered "too young", but she didn't mind either way. She enjoyed not having the stress of taking care of a land that stretched as far as she could see. Not concerning herself over such heavy matters allowed her to have a childhood, as well as time to spend time with her people, getting to know them and becoming a political staple for her parents, which she enjoyed. She was happy being the image for the Mushroom Kingdom.

Now she regretted never getting involved, because now the people whom she adored and loved were going to lose their land to Bowser. It was obvious that he would win, what with his clear control and loyal warriors. She wished Mario would come soon enough, if he even made it at all. She suddenly felt herself doubting her friend, and then felt horrible for it. But could anyone really blame her? She was stuck, and she didn't know how long she was going to be stuck.

It didn't matter how hospitable Bowser and Kamek were, they were trying to take control of her kingdom while her parents were away and couldn't respond quick enough. Tears filled her eyes, and she felt a lump in her throat. She set her tray and cereal on the bedside table next to her. She brought her hands to her face and wept. She felt shame because of her selfishness. She was enjoying herself as her people were, or at least were _going_ to be, suffering. She knew her parents would be so disappointed in her.

She calmed down some after a few more sobs, then got out of bed and stood up, standing in place. She wanted to go to the bathroom to clean herself up in case Kamek popped in again, but she also didn't want to see herself. She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her gaze flicked to the bedside table, where the tray tilted dangerously near the edge. It was like the metal was threatening to fall, to clatter, and make a mess out of her most likely soggy breakfast. Peach looked down at her thighs, observing the pants that had been so graciously given to her. They were a simple gray color, with no writing or anything else. They were a little baggy, but still very comfortable.

They didn't stay dry for long, though, because they were soon moistened by her tears. They fell softly, and she could feel the wetness on her skin. She was so unsure and confused, because she knew that she should hate the Darklands and Bowser and even Kamek for so many reasons, but she couldn't help but to enjoy herself in this volcano castle. Not to mention Bowser's sensitivity the night before. She had felt that they had a connection, something that she should only associate with people like Mario, who people already expected to get together at some point. They had been friends for as long as she could remember, even Luigi had hung out with them many times.

But now she most likely would never see them again. She would probably stay in this castle and Bowser would snatch away everything her family had fought for and earned over thousands of years, and neither she nor her parents could stop him. She should hate him for this alone, but when she learned he was doing this for his own kingdom...she couldn't help but to feel pity. But the most haunting fact about that little story was that she couldn't even be sure that it was true. He could have been lying through his sharp teeth, and she would be too naive and stupid to know it.

Peach wanted to be back home, but before Bowser had kidnapped her. She wanted to relive her happy days, and see the better memories, but the blurriness in her eyes and mind wouldn't allow it. She couldn't even bring herself to lay down and try to sleep again. Instead of doing anything that could be seen as productive, she sank to the ground, and put her head in her hands, choosing to cry again. She wanted to forget about any of this, to push the Darklands and Bowser out of her mind, but she couldn't.

Outside the door, Bowser sat, bored. He wanted to go in and talk to Peach again, as they'd connected so well the night before, but he didn't want her freaking out again. He debated on going in to her room to see her or actually trying to get some work done. Just as he was about to curse at himself for even considering crawling to her for company and walk away, he heard a noise inside her room. But it wasn't anything like a sneeze or a mumble that one would normally hear out of someone in a room by themselves, but like a sob or something.

He knew that he was probably just coming up with excuses, but he felt like he needed to go in and see if she was okay. After all, she was being overly cooperative and weirdly kind towards him, so it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to check up on her. And it wasn't like he didn't have the right, this _was_ his castle after all. He could do what he liked in said castle. But, then again, what if she was naked? Then he nearly slapped himself. Why would she be naked? That didn't make any sense.

Finally, he made up his mind to go inside, and put his large hand on the handle. He knew it made a loud rattling noise when he touched it, so she would be alerted of his entry. Just as he was about to turn it and go in, Kamek appeared behind him and touched his shoulder, making him jump and yelp in surprise. He whipped his head around to glare at Kamek, who just stared at him expectantly.

"Sire, what is it that you are doing?" he asked, raising an invisible brow.

"I was going in to check on the princess, duh," Bowser growled, but he faced his head down and avoided looking at Kamek, as he was starting to blush. Not something he wanted anyone to see, even his advisor. "Now buzz off."

"I can't, Lord Bowser, there is simply too much to do," Kamek replied. "Now come on, you can't waste your time here, especially since the princess isn't here by her own free will."

"Kamek, I am demanding you to let me go in and see her." Bowser turned to look at Kamek again, his blush easily covered by his newfound frustration.

Kamek gave him a hard, almost fatherly stare. Bowser sighed and looked at the ground, kicking it and mumbling, much like a child who got his toy taken away. The king then groaned, and waved his hand, a sign telling Kamek to take him wherever he so desperately needed to be.

Meanwhile, Peach was in her room, startled and a little anxious about the noise outside. She felt her blood run cold when she hear Bowser touch the doorknob, and it had practically turned to ice once she heard him tell Kamek that he was going in. Her veins finally began to thaw once she heard his footsteps pound heavily away from her door. She sighed in relief, happy to have her little emotional breakdown kept quiet.

Though she couldn't help the paranoia she felt once she had sobbed before, especially the one she couldn't muffle before. Had Bowser heard it? How long had he been outside her door? Did he just pass by and decide to barge in uninvited? That seemed like the most probable explanation, but it didn't help her rapid heartbeat. She was still worried that he would come in.

She wanted to get up and go to the bathroom in an excuse for Bowser to leave if he _did_ show up for no reason, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Every limb she had was apparently paralyzed. She then groaned and shook her body into action again, already sick of her emotions seeming to control her body and its function more than she could.

Finally she managed to get up, and shuffle to the bathroom. When she got in, she found her hair to be a mess, her eyes to be bloodshot, and her clothes to be sticking oddly to her sweat covered skin. She gasped at her reflection and deemed it possible to snap out of whatever funk she was in to clean herself up. She brushed her hair (and she had to say, it was rather painful, what with all the tangles deciding that they wanted to be ripped from her scalp) and tied it up in a ponytail, splashed her face with cold water, and walked back out into her room to explore some more for a fan.

The only thing she could find was a small, battery-powered fan that was meant for desks. She shrugged, happy enough to finally have some kind of breeze. She went to place it on the bedside table, but was stopped by the tray she had been so spiteful with before. She picked it up, rolling her eyes at how silly that had been, even if it had only been a few minutes before. She placed the tray on an empty dresser-looking piece of furniture, hoping the maids would know that that meant she was done with it.

She also looked for her dress, as well as what she wore under it, and couldn't find it anywhere. She assumed that Kamek had had it taken out for whatever reason, and hoped that that reason would be to clean it. She did happen to like that dress, so she hoped it hadn't been burned or something like that.

Pushing away the thought, deeming it frivolous, turned on the fan (and was elated to find that the batteries weren't dead), made her bed, and laid out on it, enjoying the breeze. She was a little surprised to see that the small fan had so much power, but felt relaxed nonetheless. Her mind still raced with thoughts about the Mushroom Kingdom, but she figured that since she wasn't there, there really wasn't anything she _could_ do about it, and crying about it really wouldn't help.

She decided that she would lay and wait for fate to let itself take place. Meanwhile, she would let her mind drift off to the happy days she had craved so viciously before.

_End of Chapter_


	7. Excuses in the Name of Company

Bowser mumbled strong curses under his breath as Kamek led him back to the meeting room, where there seemed to be another phone call for him. This time, though, it was some dopey kingdom that he didn't care to remember the name of. But what they were offering was definitely more interesting than the forced monotone of the king speaking to him.

"We are willing to give up at least sixty percent of our land in exchange for the safety of my daughter," he spoke, his faux calmness being broken much too easily by his obvious fear. "But I can also give up more, if you so wish."

"How am I supposed to know that your land isn't just some small little patch of grass?" Bowser questioned, finding it much easier to hide his excitement than the other king was attempting. "For all I know, you could be yanking my tail so I don't take _your_ precious princess."

"Take all of it if you want, then!" the other king suddenly shouted, a sob or two slipping through. "Daddy, no!" a female voice cried from not too far away. "I just want you to keep off of my daughter!"

Bowser rolled his eyes, though he was tempted. A man was giving up everything just to protect his daughter (who Bowser really couldn't care less about)? He glanced towards Kamek, who just gestured to him to answer the man on the phone. Bowser finally decided on what to demand.

"I want eighty percent, any less and your princess will be a permanent addition to my castle," Bowser growled, then interrupted the king's thanks to say, "And if I find out that I'm getting crappy land and space, I'll take her and put her somewhere where you'll never see her again."

A hard, audible swallow on the other end. "I swear you will not be disappointed."

With a grunt, Bowser hung up the phone and looked at Kamek with a grin. The old magikoopa smiled back, albeit not with as much enthusiasm. Bowser raised a brow, his grin fading.

"What?" he asked. "Did I say something I wasn't supposed to?"

"You don't even realize what happened, do you?" Kamek asked, ordering the guards around them to leave, which told Bowser that he was getting yelled at. He prepared himself for a lecture. "That kingdom has just given you _eighty percent of their land_ because they are scared you will capture their princess! That means that they know about Peach, and who took her. Do you know what _that_ means, then?"

"More than just the Mushroom Kingdom knows," Bowser said, a thought popping up in his head and getting him excited again. "Then they'll offer up land too. Kamek, this is great!"

"No, sire, it's not," Kamek groaned. "Since a kingdom as obscure as that knows, that means that the Mushroom kingdom's king and queen will soon know as well. Then they'll declare war on us, and who knows what financial and life losses we'll suffer from that. You shouldn't have taken Princess Peach, or you could have at least taken her back once you called off the troops."

Bowser looked down at his feet, then back up at Kamek. "Why can't I take her back now?"

"Because they probably already know, so it's too late," Kamek replied, trying and failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Now we just have to wait it out."

Bowser narrowed his eyes, suddenly unsure. "Do you like her or something?"

Kamek flicked his gaze over to Bowser in a scowl, and he tried to speak, but found himself unable. Bowser's eyebrows nearly escaped his face as he raised them in shock. Kamek just grumbled and muttered a curse so old Bowser didn't even know it. The Koopa King felt a burst of laughter coming on, and he didn't bother to hold it in. Kamek scowled and looked at the ground.

"You..._oh wow_...you totally have a crush on the princess!" Bowser laughed out loud, pointing a thick, clawed finger at Kamek, who suddenly raised one hairless brow at him.

"What makes you think I have a crush?" he asked, actually confused. Then he rolled his eyes and held his hand out in front of Bowser's face before the royal could respond. "Wait, never mind, I suddenly remembered that you're terrible with signs."

"What do you-"

"Now, Bowser, listen up," Kamek interrupted. "I want you to know that I harbor no romantic feelings towards Princess Peach. I simply enjoy her company. She's polite and has a rather sickeningly infectious energy, even with her circumstances. I just see her as a nice temporary addition to the castle, as harmful as her involuntary visit was."

Bowser raised a brow a bit, deciding to test his elder. "But she's super cute, right?"

"Very beautiful, much like her personality, had you bothered to talk to her."

Bowser felt an anger flash through him then disappear as he remembered his evening with Peach. His sudden scowl melted into a mocking grin. Kamek looked at him, knowing the bragginess of the grin well enough to let it be obvious that Bowser wanted to gloat about something.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" he asked, wary of the response.

"Remember how I told you to call off the guards last night?" he asked. Kamek nodded slowly, moving his hand away. "Well that was because I was with Peach."

"...you called them off because you were guilty?"

Bowser's eyes widened as he realized that Kamek was right, and what made it worse was that he had just bragged about it. The koopa ran his claws through his hair, groaning. The magikoopa across from him just smiled, and held in his laughter. It seemed like Bowser didn't have much to brag about. Just so he could laugh without being punished, he left the room in a puff of blue smoke and lost it outside the castle's walls. Meanwhile, Bowser felt ready to punch something, angry at himself for giving into such weak emotions like guilt without realizing it.

Clearly Peach was a witch or something. What scared him was that the thought didn't bother him. He was eerily willing to give in to her demands anyways, what with the room change and leaving her kingdom alone, though she didn't quite know about that yet. Then an idea came into his head, which he was relieved about since he was getting sick of remembering his weakness and the fact that Kamek was losing his mind outside laughing at him.

He decided that he should finally tell his caged bird that her kingdom wasn't going to be bothered so she could be freed in some way, even if he really couldn't remove the cage yet. She could at least not worry about the Mushroom Kingdom. He could only imagine the type of stress that that would put on her. He hoped she wasn't angry about it.

Peach, in her room, had also hoped she wouldn't be angry. She didn't want to lose her temper, because, much like getting depressed, it wasn't helping anyone, especially herself. It just made her feel worse. Now, she was relaxing and thinking about a way out of the castle through her room so she could escape and save her people herself. They needed her and she needed to be level-headed in order to do what she could to help them. Of course she couldn't help but to wonder what that would entail for her, but she thought it better to cross that bridge when she got to it.

However, as Peach thought about looking for vulnerabilities in the stone walls, there was a loud, heavy knock on her door. She jumped in her seat, a feeling of panic shooting up her spine. Bowser, on the other side of the door, couldn't notice.

"Who is it?" Peach asked, almost purely out of habit, leveling her voice to contain her panic.

"Um...it's Bowser," Bowser said through the door, his voice muffled by the door more than Peach would like. "Can...can I come in?"

"Oh, uh, well, sure!" Peach replied, faking her chipper voice. When she realized just how painfully obvious it was that she was faking, she cringed. Bowser, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice.

"Uh...hi," Bowser said, standing awkwardly in place. "Can I um...can we talk about last night?"

Peach managed to blush and blanch at the same time. The memory of her little episode was so embarrassing, and she just wanted to forget about it. However, he did deserve an apology, since he had (pretty much) shown nothing but kindness since he had captured her.

"Um...o-okay," Peach stuttered. "Would you like to take a seat?" She offered.

"Nothing in here was built for my size," Bowser replied, his voice a little too quiet. "I'll just sit on the floor."

Peach couldn't help but to feel bad for Bowser as he plopped onto the carpet, mainly because she was still sitting in her bed, which would probably snap in half under his size. She didn't want to be the only one on a somewhat proper seat, so she flopped onto the floor herself, but instantly regretting it as her tailbone landed in the exact right place for pain to be shot oh-so-expertly up her spine. She hissed quietly, told Bowser she was fine when asked, and sat up, facing him.

"Alright, let's talk," she said.'

The king raised a brow at the princess, smirked, and said, "Yeah, about last night, if there was anything I did to make you freak out so much, I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, it wasn't anything like that," Peach responded nervously, forcing a small laugh. "I just...I...it's hard to explain. I do want you to know that I am sorry for being so...odd last night. It was so silly of me." Another forced laugh.

"Well, I'm glad that that's over with," Bowser said with a chuckle that felt like it couldn't be possibly fake. "I was worried that that would be all awkward."

A few moments of silence. Peach touched her chest, where her blue gem brooch would normally be, out of habit. She felt a little odd without her gem (yet again), but got past it enough to speak again.

"Was that all you wanted to talk to me about…?" she asked, looking around, as if his answer were carved on the walls.

He jolted, obviously having been broken roughly out of some daydream, and laughed at himself. Peach, yet again, felt comforted by his warm nature. It was better than the tyrant act he had shown her the day before, for sure. She couldn't also help but to feel warmer in his presence again, and this time it couldn't be the lava heat, because it hadn't felt this warm before hand, though she wasn't complaining. She had gotten too cold with the fan on before and had to turn it off to warm up again and this new heat was just perfect in that moment.

"Oh, no, I wanted to tell you something, actually, and it's really important, so I need you to listen, okay?" he asked. Peach nodded and he grinned, already excited. "Okay, so, last night, when I went away for a couple minutes?" Peach nodded again, urging him to continue. "I got Kamek, and called off my troopas. They just returned, and, as far as I know, no one has touched your kingdom."

A heavy weight was lifted off of her shoulders, and it was indescribable. She sighed and laughed and felt her eyes getting watery. She wiped away her happy tears with one hand and put the other on her chest, again. She looked up at Bowser, a huge grin on her face and the rims of her eyes growing red, and worded 'thank you' breathlessly.

Bowser didn't reply, he just smiled. Kamek was right, her aura was infectious. He could practically feel her relief and happiness, and was more than happy to accept that he had given in to guilt for a strange woman. All he knew right then was that he had made her laugh and smile and that that made him really happy himself, even if he didn't entirely understand why.

Of course that euphoria just _had_ to be ruined by a few words out of her tiny mouth.

"So I can go home now?" she asked, obviously getting her hopes up. Her hands clutched together and fidgeted.

Bowser's eyes widened a bit. He had hoped that she wouldn't ask that, but he also knew that it couldn't be avoided. His eyelids then drooped a little, and he sighed, looking down. Peach raised a slender brow slightly, wondering why he suddenly seemed so sad. He had been grinning just seconds before. She would have asked, but she wasn't feeling like bothering his obviously sour mood.

"I...I can't take you back yet," he said quietly, but also audible enough for her to hear. She furrowed her brows and asked why. He rubbed his eyes with his thick thumb and index finger. "Because...because...my ship is in the repair shop. I can't take you back without it."

"Oh," Peach whispered, looking down at her own lap. "I see."

Bowser wanted to bury himself in a hole for lying to her, so he tried to make it a little better. "The repairs are fairly simple, they should only take about a week. You'll be home before you know it. Until then, you're free to roam the castle now. There's plenty of space to keep you busy."

Peach smiled in return and nodded quickly. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. Bowser wondered why until he realized just what that meant. Was she trying not to cry? Oh, no, he couldn't have that. She wasn't allowed to cry when she was at his castle, and especially not around him. He wouldn't even think of it.

So, to keep her from crying, he stood up quickly and held out a large hand, offering to help her up. She looked up at him, her eyes glassy and moist, and, unsure of what else to do, took his hand. He hoisted her up easily, her weight no where near a problem to lift. Once she was standing, he motioned for him to follow her.

"Where are we going?" Peach asked him warily.

He grinned in response, trying desperately to get that real smile back. "Just for a little tour. It's a hell of a lot better to have an idea of the place when you wander than to just walk around. It's pretty easy to get lost."

She smirked, and he felt a blush and suppressed it immediately. "Oh, why, thank you, King Bowser Koopa!" she said, bowing in a playfully mocking fashion.

He just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, come on, you royal pain, I went through a really boring meeting to get to you. I'm not gonna waste my time here."

Peach giggled, thought it over for a second, then took his hand. A tour seemed like fun, and could get her mind off the fact that her people were probably worried sick about her. She would have to ask Bowser if she could make a public appearance to tell them that she was all right. Then she remembered that she was in the pajamas from before, and suddenly felt naked without the billowing comfort of her dress. As Bowser made the large strides to get out of the room that seemed to be too small for him, she called out his name. He looked over at her over his shoulder.

"Do you think I could put something else on?" she asked. "Like maybe my dress? It's almost noon, and I don't want everyone to start to think I'm lazy."

Bowser chuckled, then said, "Let me see what I can do."

He called for Kamek, who looked tired, then perked up as he noticed Peach standing behind Bowser with a small smile on her face. She waved at him and he waved back. He was glad and horrified at the same time that she was still there. He wondered what excuse Bowser came up with to keep her there, and especially to keep her smiling.

"Kamek, I'm right here," Bowser grunted impatiently. Kamek flicked his gaze back to his king and apologized. "Shut it, I just need you to hurry up and get a dress for Princess Peach. I don't care if it's hers or one you make, just get one."

Kamek nodded, then grinned as a maid handed him a large lump wrapped in wrinkle-free black plastic. "It seems that her dress is clean already."

"What's with that bag?" Bowser asked. "You never do that with my spikes."

"That's because her dress is a finer fabric, and it seems to stain easily."

"You didn't stain it, did you?"

"No, no, one of your tailors downstairs recognized the fabric and was quick to warn us about being careful with it. Though he was so attached to it we practically needed a cattle prod to get him away from it."

Bowser grunted in slight interest then jabbed his thumb towards Peach's direction, and Kamek understood. The old magikoopa floated up close to Peach, and handed her the plastic with her dress inside. She thanked him and took it gratefully. She asked Bowser if he minded her changing, and he said not at all, but in his mind he was slowly losing his patience. He wished she didn't have to fret about every little thing, because his schedule may have been open, but he liked to waste as little time as possible.

Kamek noticed his familiar stance that he used as a child when he was just minutes away from throwing a tantrum, and he stopped the king where he stood. He reminded Bowser that Peach was used to different things, and that she had all the time in the world. Bowser looked away, a little embarrassed that he was reverting to childlike ways, but he pushed away that feeling. He wasn't gonna worry about it.

Now all he cared about was how Peach got dressed so quickly, because she was out of the bathroom in five minutes looking exactly like she had when she arrived at the castle, sans the makeup. He decided that he didn't care about that, either, especially when she was so bright and radiant and happy-looking. She smiled at him and reverted her eyes away, a little shy on the eye contact with his intense ruby hues.

"I'm ready to get going!" she cheered, stepping towards him and taking his arm.

It took him a moment to get back to the real world. Once he did, he shooed Kamek away and walked out with Peach on his arm. He wasn't sure how, but her touch seemed to light the fire in his belly even more than usual. He enjoyed her presence and he couldn't explain why. He knew that they were more different than words could explain, but he just liked her being around him and _not_ trying to get away.

Of course he still wondered how long that would last. For now, he would just show her around.

_End of Chapter_


	8. A Second Shot Shouldn't Hurt

Peach couldn't help but to be amazed at all of the artifacts littered around the Darklandian castle. Paintings from centuries past, vases carved carefully and expertly by ancient koopa claws, statues of the previous monarchs that all seemed to have their own maniacal charm. The young princess asked about every statue and painting, and even the faded carvings on the walls. Bowser answered every question with varying interest and knowledge.

Soon she walked up to something that stunned her. A huge painting, big enough to take up an entire wall, of two koopas that looked a bit like Bowser, and a smaller one between them. It took her Bowser's uncomfortable grunt to realize that this was a family portrait of Bowser and this family when he was still a child. She looked over at him with curiosity in her eyes, and opened her mouth to ask about it, but he stopped her where she stood.

"They aren't around anymore," he said simply.

She bit her lip and almost asked more about it, but his body language was practically screaming that she'd better not. His tone also didn't help, seeing that he seemed to be angry about it. She stored all of this and saved it for later, when he was in a much better mood. For then, they moved on and continued to tour the rooms and halls full of ancient pieces of history for the Darklands.

Suddenly something about the stories Bowser was telling her didn't seem to add up. She stopped walking, a signal for Bowser to stop as well. He missed it for a moment and kept walking until he didn't hear her bare footsteps beside him, and looked around for her. Once he found her, he turned his body around to face her. They were about two or three feet away from each other.

"What's up?" he asked, raising a brow and crossing his arms with a smirk. "Having trouble taking everything in? It's a lot of cool stuff, I know, but us koopas have to stay cool, and I guess it just affects our history too."

"Hm? Oh, no, no, nothing like that," Peach said with a small laugh, waving her hand, as if to dispel the thought. "I was just a little curious about the actual Darklands history itself, and not just the paintings and such."

"Okay, what're you confused about?"

"Well, from what you've told me, the past rulers of the Darklands seemed to know what they're doing. They had strong armies, good trade routes, powerful allies, and enough wealth to dominate the world."

"Right," Bowser said, urging her to get to the point. He knew how awesome his family was, what was so confusing about that?

"Well, to be blunt, how did your land space get so tiny you had to try and take over mine?" she asked, looking up at him.

Bowser felt a small surge of anger over a number of things pass through him until he looked into her eyes. The precious sapphire gems she had were enough to make him remember that it was just an innocent curiosity asking the question, not a malicious royal trying to make him squirm. He took a small enough breath for Peach not to notice, then let that tiny intake of air relieve his senses.

"It's from years of mistakes made by the other politicians they added on once the people were unhappy with just having a dictatorship. There were corrupt Darklandians added on to help make decisions that affected big parts of the kingdom, and they wrecked a lot of the work put into this place by my ancestors before."

"Oh," Peach mumbled, looking down at her suddenly fidgeting hands. She felt bad for asking.

Bowser saw through her guilt and tried to alleviate it by showing her more paintings. She was entertained, but still felt bad for bringing up two obviously difficult things for Bowser in day. He was being so kind and now she had upset him twice. The one good thing was that she felt just slightly closer and a little honored that he was trusting her enough with information that may be able to knock him out as a ruler, so she knew well enough not to betray that trust.

On they continued, going back and forth with information and inquiries without further incident. Bowser was elated to have her so interested in his world, and Peach was elated to find that Bowser really wasn't angry with her. They talked and walked through history until the subject changed and they were just walking and talking through the castle. The tour had turned into a leisurely stroll between two people.

Soon they noticed that it was dinnertime, and they laughed at themselves for missing out on lunch. Then they felt the oncoming hunger once food was mentioned. Peach excused her stomach's rumbling, but Bowser just allowed his to roll on without excuse. They were starving, so Bowser called for Kamek, who appeared with an expectant look on his face.

"Yes, sire?" he practically sing-songed.

"Two things Maggot Mouth," Bowser began, holding up his index and middle finger on his hand to Kamek. "One, why didn't you tell us to come to lunch?"

"Why, Your Nastiness, you two were having such a lovely time that I felt it rude to disturb you," Kamek replied with a smirk.

Bowser groaned, but continued regardless. "Okay, whatever, two," he grunted, staring up at Kamek. "Take me and Peach to dinner, and it better be ready for us."

"Oh, princess, will you be dining with us again?" Kamek asked, smiling down at the young girl.

She giggled and shrugged. "It seems so!"

Bowser grinned himself, then cursed himself for it. Damn her and her infectious happiness.

"Well that is just swell to hear, I'll tell the chefs that you're ready for them."

Suddenly, Bowser and Peach were transported into the dining room, and it was before Peach could even realize what was going on. Her head then started to spin and she had to take a strong step or two to steady herself. She also outstretched her arms in front of her to break her fall in case she actually fell over. Bowser turned his head to her and realized that there was no way for her to get used to teleportation, and he apologized profusely. Peach assured him she was alright, and just asked for some water.

After chugging the water that was graciously given to her by a kind maid, she smiled and steadied herself again, making her mind slow down. After another moment, she smiled up at Bowser, who was still worried. She playfully rolled her eyes, then laughed again.

"Don't worry, Bowser," she said, playfully punching his arm, "I may not look it, but I'm a pretty tough girl."

"That doesn't explain how you got here, Peach," he replied smoothly.

The princess blushed and hit him again with a tad more force. "Not funny!" she squealed, trying her damned hardest not to burst out in little giggles. Then she took a deep breath, gathered her will, and said, "You know, I'm actually figuring out what to do with you for that."

Bowser looked at her as though she were an advanced sudoku puzzle. "What?"

Peach didn't say anything else, but her expression gave off a beacon of mischief. He decided it was better not to pursue, because she didn't seem willing to repeat herself. A flash of a child sparked in his mind, not willing to stop crying. It was a funny memory, one she didn't seem to share. He was half glad that she didn't, because he was just thinking about it himself, and it was bringing back thoughts of an affection from the past, not to mention how stupid he was for not remembering her before.

"Is something the matter, Bowser?" Peach asked, gently placing her tiny hand on his bicep. It tensed under her touch.

"What? Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I'm totally fine," Bowser mumbled too quietly and quickly for her to hear. "Let's just eat."

Then they somewhat awkwardly took their places at the table, facing one another, just like the night before. Suddenly an idea to lighten the suddenly tense mood popped into Bowser's mind, so he took the chance he had to use it.

"So, Peach, if we take a walk again after dinner, do you promise not to freak out again?" he said smoothly, slightly proud of himself for not stuttering.

The princess looked up and started blushing, a slow smirk crossing her face. She didn't respond, but the look was enough to let Bowser know she had gotten the joke. Not only that, but she found it funny as well. Finally, they had gotten rid of the slight discomfort and were back to just minutes before. Again, they broke into conversation of past stories with their childhoods, though Bowser didn't have much to talk about himself. Peach, on the other hand, had many stories that amused him. His particular favorite was the one she was telling currently, about one of her first and few violent experiences with her best friend Daisy, which he listened to intently as he tore into his steak.

"So when she took away my pacifier, I lost it and punched her in the cheek," Peach said with a giggle. "It was funny mainly because I was already six, much too old for a pacifier. I don't think I hit her very hard, but it was hard enough to make her cry, which got me in trouble. She had a bruise on her face for a few days, and didn't touch my pacifier again, but I ended up throwing it away a month later."

"Were you guilty that it made you hit her or something?" Bowser asked.

"No, I just got tired of it. You know, that whole thing about old habits dying hard? It isn't always true. I was just done with my pacifier and threw it away. Daisy wasn't that fussy about it either, considering how she wanted it too, and we just went back to normal."

Bowser laughed out loud, his dinner lying on the table before him, long since finished. Peach, on the other hand, also laughed, but still tore large bites at her (now sized for her) steak. It was just as delicious as before, and she wanted to savor all of the taste yet again. Then she noticed how much talking she did that night and felt embarrassed. The king before her barely got a word in himself, and now she felt annoying for not letting him speak himself.

"I'm sorry, Bowser, I've been talking all night!" she cried with a laugh, placing her hand on her dress, more comfortable with the cold feeling of her gem. "Surely you have a story yourself?"

The koopa seemed nervous for a split second, then he recollected himself. "No, nothing half as funny or interesting as your little debacle with Daisy. Nothing much happened when I was a kid anyways."

"There had to be _something_. Didn't you ever do anything fun with your friends?"

His eyebrows furrowed, and he didn't look at her directly. He put his elbow on the table, resting his hand on his cheek and using his other hand's claws to put little scratches in the plate. It was better than explaining to Peach that he actually never had any…

Peach gasped quietly and realized the mistake she'd made. "Oh, Bowser I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, you didn't know," Bowser said, glancing back up at her. "I just...I never got to leave the castle, mainly for safety reasons. We had a lot of dangerous enemies that would do anything to damage us. That meant hurting me, too, so I wasn't allowed outside the castle grounds, which were always covered with thick gates and thorny vines. I wasn't allowed visitors, either, which got annoying."

Peach felt deep pity for the creature across from her. Poor thing, she couldn't imagine living such a secluded life. It sounded unbearable, but she didn't know the whole story. She wasn't being told about how Bowser snuck out one day with a very very nervous and reluctant Kamek to capture her. She had been too little to remember, Bowser noticed, and didn't want to think about what would happen if he _did_ decide to fill her in on it. An angry princess entered his mind and he wasn't fond of the image.

Instead of letting things go as awry as the night before, Bowser brushed off the subject, not wanting to discuss it as well as not wanting to accidentally mention his childhood kidnappings. They casually switched over to a lighter subject, both feeling the unpleasantry of discussing Bowser's lonesome life. Now they were talking about anything that popped up into their minds, much like the night before.

It was nice, and it was comforting, and soon, Peach felt completely relaxed and at home in the castle again. This time, however, with her being a bit more of a voluntary guest than anything else now, she didn't feel as wrong about it. She let herself sink into the warmth of both Bowser's presence and his influence on her. She was feeling happy and she was enjoying it completely this time. It was a nice feeling.

Eventually, they had practically talked themselves to exhaustion, not to mention the meals weighing down their bellies in the best way, but also bringing on an air of sleepiness. Peach and Bowser yawned at the same time, though Bowser covered his mouth entirely to keep from letting fireballs slip out and hit his companion. Peach only barely covered her mouth, but it was mainly out of habit. The two then looked at each other and giggled slightly, hitting a goofy level of sleep, then Bowser called for Kamek.

"Yes, Your Sleepiness?" Kamek asked, his tone a little too close to being playfully sarcastic. Bowser ignored this.

"Take me to bed," Bowser commanded with a grin.

Kamek rolled his eyes and touched his king's head with his wand, sending him to his chambers with a small _poof_. Peach saw this and realized that she didn't want to feel dizzy again, so she spoke up.

"Um, Kamek, do you think you could maybe just walk me to my room?" she asked sheepishly. Kamek nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

"It is no problem at all, Your Grace," he bowed, then turned and started floating out of the room. Peach scrambled to get up and follow him.

They walked silently to her chambers, and remained silent until they reached her door, where Kamek finally said what was on his mind.

"You know, Princess, this castle has really benefitted from your rather short presence. Bowser has been in a much better mood, and this morning he even thanked a maid."

Peach blushed. "I didn't know I had such an influence."

Kamek gave a warm smile, something he didn't have too much practice with, but he still managed. "Good night, Princess," he said simply.

She also wished him a good night then retreated to her room. This time, instead of her pajamas being on her dresser, they were on her bed. She blushed and realized that someone had to see her sleeping in the buff to understand she hadn't found the pajamas before. It was a hard thought to shake, and it wasn't a pleasant one to think about at that. But, she got it out of her mind and undressed, opting out of a shower. She was sure that there was more than enough water and she wouldn't be wasting it, but she just didn't feel a need for it.

She slipped the sweatpants back on, and noticed how soft they were inside. They must have been cleaned by the hands of laundry gods. She wished her clothes could ever be this comfortable. She sighed at the feeling and threw on the shirt, letting it hang loosely off her shoulder. She was alone, and tired, so she didn't care to be ladylike enough to fix it.

She fell onto the bed on her stomach, then flipped onto her back. She felt herself sinking into the mattress. Before she could be swallowed whole, though, she snuggled under the thick comforter to shield herself from the cold. She fell asleep within minutes.

Bowser, on the other hand, was tossing and turning in his bed. The family portrait and the awkward pause in conversation at dinner were bringing up memories he wished he could repress to the point of erasing them completely. He didn't want to remember where his parents went. He didn't want to remember all those years locked away in the castle, being hidden from people he'd never even met.

For the first time in years, a hot tear slid through his tightly closed eyelids. He managed to suppress the loud sobs that threatened to escape his throat, but he couldn't stop the tears. After the first one, two fell. After the two, it felt like millions. He was shaking and crying, and he hated it. It made him feel like when he was still young, and he was crying himself to sleep after another lonely day.

It was the most vulnerable and alone he'd felt in nearly a decade. Images flashed through his mind. His coronation after his parents' death, their funeral, a tea party with a stuffed animal he had roasted with his breath shortly afterwards. All of them brought more and more sadness, more vulnerability.

He wished that Kamek would come in, but he also wished the elder would stay as far away as he could. He wanted the one father figure he had left, but he didn't want to be seen in such a state. He didn't want to be seen while he couldn't stop thinking about things that made him feel weak. So, he continued to cry, and cry. He wanted to let out the rumbles in his chest that were making his ribs and esophagus hurt, but he knew they'd be too loud.

So he remained that way until he eventually fell asleep. His pillow was damp, and it was now getting cold, but he didn't flip it over. He was too tired to bother.

As he and Peach drifted into a dream-filled sleep, Bowser dreamt of shadows devouring him whole, and Peach dreamed of being wrapped in large, warm arms. However, only one had an uneasy slumber.

_End of Chapter_


	9. Unwanted Knowledge

Early the next morning, Bowser woke up with a start for the third time since finally falling asleep. He kept dreaming that he was falling, and it kept jerking him awake. This time, though, he didn't want to go back to sleep. It was just a couple hours before he had to actually be awake, so he figured he could bum around until the normal schedule started. Not to mention the fact that he really wasn't eager to get back to the previous hours' nightmares.

He sat up, threw his feet over the edge of the bed, and stretched. He yawned as well, and let the miniscule fireballs slip out and onto the stone floor. They sizzled on contact, waking up Bowser a little more, as they always did. Then he actually stood up, and realized that he'd left his shell on, so the bedsheets were torn up. They seemed to be even more demolished than usual, and Bowser realized he'd been tossing and turning not only before going to bed, but after falling asleep as well.

He muttered creative curses under his breath and stumbled into the bathroom. He needed a shower. His head was pounding, his eyes were sore, and he just generally felt unclean. He turned the nozzle and cringed at how loud and creaky it was. Then the water shot out of the shower head, and Bowser turned it up to the hottest setting. He wasn't in the mood for a cold shower, and turning it up to a lava like setting was the only way he could feel it.

After slipping off his shell and stepping inside, he was completely at ease. He always appreciated the feeling of the beyond steaming water on his scales. It was as if his worries were being tossed right away, which was something he desperately needed. He put his hand on the wall and leaned into it, running his hand through his thick red hair. It hadn't sprouted until a couple weeks ago, and he couldn't keep his claws out of it. It was a calming motion, not to mention a nearly bad habit.

He got his hand off the wall, washed his hair, then his body. All of the soaps and shampoos he used smelled strong, just the way he liked it. He had almost forgotten about the smell itself, and now felt familiarity and comfort in it. It reminded him of the indoor gardens; a little overwhelming and even somewhat intimidating. But once you got used to it, it was a pleasant smell that always meant something great was around. Bowser grinned, thinking that that "something great" was himself.

He took a little longer than usual in the shower, just enjoying the water, then he got out and dried himself with a worn towel. He walked back into his room with his shell tucked carefully under his arm. Before he put the shell on, though, he wrapped the towel around his waist and walked over to his window, which was beside his bed. He opened the curtains wide and looked down at his kingdom. The smog seemed to be pretty bad today, it was thick enough to cover the majority of the nearest city. He couldn't even think to see the others. He sighed and closed his curtains again. The smog problem was getting really bad, and he couldn't help but to hope that other kings with daughters would give up their land for their princesses' protection.

Shaking his head, he walked away from the window and to his shell. He slipped it on easily, finding even more comfort in its weight. Though the smell from the soap on his body was much stronger once he was actually _inside_ of it. He walked around some, waking up some more, and attempted to think of ways to solve the smog dilemma before the business of the morning set in. He needed to think of solutions other than receiving calls from pitiable and desperate kingdoms. It needed much more consideration than just that, because even that wouldn't solve everything.

While his parents were alive and he was a stupid and rebellious teen, he would disguise himself and walk with the common people. He had talked to many, making up a fake identity and a fake voice to go with it. He usually asked about how some of the people had gotten to the Darklands, how long they'd been there, things like that. He had been practically starving for any contact with others, so even the most trivial and usually boring stories could hold his interest for hours.

He had heard from many that they had been born there, and they intended to stay until they were buried. Back then, he had admired their loyalty and dedication to the kingdom, but now he only thought they were fools. The place was going to be nothing but abandoned land with a volcano castle in a matter of a few years, so their stubborn ways were nothing but a hinderance. He couldn't move them, he knew it. It just made for more early-morning thinking and stress for the very king they lived under.

He could have spent all day pondering it, had he not noticed it was almost time for his maids to come in and wake him up. Then he would be ushered away from the comfort and sanctuary of his chambers to work with pinheads to figure out how to solve the other, more meaningless problems of the Darklands. He then remembered that Peach was there, too, and he wondered what she would do without him. He didn't know what else to tell her about to continue a tour, so she seemed to be on her own. He wondered if she would get lost, or if she would find something she shouldn't.

Bowser pushed it away from his thoughts. It was stupid to think of things that way. She was a thinking, breathing being, she could handle herself. That is, when she isn't being kidnapped, unless she wants a better room. Then she can talk her way through anything. He put it in the back of his mind to teach her basic self-defense, since he didn't intend on taking her like this again, and he didn't want anyone else doing it, either.

Then that special time came around. The maids knocked, and entered, and stopped in place when they saw that Bowser was already awake.

"Well, that'sa big help," the apparent leader said with a smile. "Makes it easier on us."

Bowser rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, well, you were lucky I wasn't too tired last night," Naturally, he was lying through his teeth. He was exhausted, and had been since the night before. "Where's Kamek?"

"Here I am, sire," Kamek said as he floated into the room. He turned to the maids. "That will be all, ladies." They curtsied and left the room.

"Alright, what do I have to do today?" Bowser asked, raising a bushy brow.

Kamek teleported his clipboard into the room and thumbed through it, flipping some of the pages and looking through the checklists and calendars. Bowser felt a mix of hope and dread, unsure if this meant Kamek couldn't find anything or if there was more than one page on the king's agenda. Much to the koopa's relief, Kamek found a middle ground.

"Just five things, Your Maliciousness," Kamek said, a little relieved himself. He wasn't too keen on dealing with a grumpy Bowser, so seeing a one-digit number of things for him to do was always nice. "Just two meetings and three consultations with kings, much like yesterday, but in person."

Bowser perked up at the sound of the three meetings with the other kings. Were they going to offer land like yesterday? Despite his previous thoughts, he got excited at the idea. More land for those who aren't stubborn. That's the only way he could see it. He would figure out what to do with the smog later. For now, he needed to get through those meetings so he could get the land from the kings.

He got up and followed Kamek immediately, explaining that he'd been up for a while and didn't need to do his morning ritual again. The magikoopa didn't argue, mainly because he smelled the strong scent of the king's soap. He did, however, allow himself to smirk.

"What's that for?" Bowser asked, looking over at Kamek and raising a brow as they walked through the halls to the first meeting.

"I see you're trying to impress the princess, sire," Kamek said with a sly grin.

Bowser rolled his eyes and scoffed, though a tiny, unexplainable blush crept onto his cheeks. "I'm not, this was the only soap I had. Besides," he rolled his eyes back towards his advisor, "I don't have to _try_ to impress her."

Kamek laughed himself, but didn't respond. Instead, he ushered him into the meeting room with the other koopas and goombas and all sorts of Darklandian creatures. Bowser grumbled like a child, but went in anyways. The door closed, and he knew he was in for a long, long, _long_, and boring ride.

Meanwhile, Peach had been woken up by the maids that were sent to wake up Bowser. She blinked and looked at them all, scanning their faces, and trying to recognize them. No, they didn't look like her servants from back home. Not a single one even had a mushroom on their head!

Then she remembered that she wasn't back home. She had a moment of panic where she couldn't remember where she was, then the moments from the last two days rushed back in. She relaxed and calmed herself, apologizing to the maids who had begun to worry for her. She then got up and allowed herself to be ushered to the bathroom and disrobed by the maids, who prepared a shower for her.

She had a passing thought on why she hadn't been treated this nicely yesterday, but she brushed it off as being thought of as a prisoner and not a guest, which she was now. She sighed and let the maids guide her into the bath, which was at such a nice temperature. They wet her hair and washed it thoroughly, yet gently enough that Peach was near falling asleep. They woke her up by rinsing her hair again, though, and she remained awake for the remainder of the bath.

For some reason, she didn't mind that she was pretty much being treated like a child now, because it felt nice. Their hands had the smallest claws that effectively worked to give her the slightest scalp massage, and the smells of the soaps were near intoxicating. She couldn't place what they were, though, some sort of fruit mixed with some sort of spice. It was an odd combination, but it just worked so well.

Then she was done, clean, and taken out of the bath. A towel longer and somehow fluffier than the one she had used the night before was quickly and tightly wrapped around her. She hugged herself and thanked the maids, thanking them for their service, but they didn't leave. Peach gave them an odd look, and they quickly explained themselves.

"A lot of us were also the house maids for the previous queen, so, as you may be able to tell, we haven't been able to serve a female in a while," the seemingly unofficial leader began. "We all have been taught to work with hair and makeup, though, and we were just hoping that you could let us...well…"

Peach smiled. "Sure, why not?"

The maids' eyes lit up. "Really?" they all asked in unison.

"Of course," Peach said, sitting on a stool with her back to them, but looking at them through the mirror. "It can be a hassle doing everything on my own at times."

They didn't question her, instead nearly attacking her wet hair with brushes and dryers. In a matter of minutes, it was neatly styled in a braid and bun hybrid that, in theory, would not work for Peach, but in practice, it suited her quite well. She looked her hair over with appreciation before letting the maids get to work on her makeup. She almost wanted to tell them that she liked her makeup to be simple, but she didn't want to ruin their fun.

They were done after a bit longer, and they stood back and took in their work. Peach did the same, unsure of how to feel about it. She liked it, but the colors were...strange, at least, for her. Thickly applied and blended dark pink and black eyeshadow with thick black eyeliner and mascara, as well as glossy black lipgloss. She didn't even know who it was that she was looking at, but, she had to admit, she didn't look _bad_.

She opened her mouth a few times to speak, but she always just ended up closing it again. She really didn't know what to say about it. She tilted her head to the side slightly and narrowed her eyes, trying to find the words, but they just weren't there. The maids then looked around nervously, unsure of whether or not they had just messed up royally (no pun intended). Peach inspected more, and soon the maids were practically dying of anxiety and anticipation.

"It's…" Peach began, finally, and the maids were on their toes. "It looks nice, and very well done, but...what am I supposed to wear with it?"

Then one of the maids in the back perked up. Unable to actually say anything through her sudden excitement, she ran out of the room for a few minutes, and ran back, a dress high above her head. It wasn't Peach's dress, not by a long shot, but it was very elegant. It had dark pinks and salmons and black accents and even a litter of gems of a nearly black pink color all around the skirt. The maid seemed proud of herself for thinking so wisely and quickly.

"This is one of the former queen's throwaway dresses," the maid explained. "She wore it once and never touched it again. I just tailored it to fit you using your dress to find the right measurements. It should fit you like a glove."

Peach had to admit, the glittering piece of clothing seemed rather tempting, but she almost felt wrong wearing it. Eventually, though, she was talked out of that mindset and into the dress. It felt like it had been sewn together just for her, from the very beginning. She wondered where the old queen had worn this magnificent dress, and began to dance a bit to herself, lost in the fantasy of a huge Darklandian ball.

The maids didn't judge, instead staring and admiring their work. They slipped on a black pair of heels as she developed a temporary Cinderella complex, and she danced on for a few minutes. As she stopped, she got a small applause from the group of Koopas below her. She smiled at them and thanked them.

"I don't think I've ever felt this mature," she said, smiling happily to herself.

She then felt a bit self-conscious as she realized that she looked like she was made up for a party, but brushed it away. She looked fine, and it wasn't like there was anyone here to really tell her not to. What was the harm in looking so nicely every once in awhile just for the fun of it?

She ushered out of the room, the dress dragging across the ground just as her normal dress would do, and she felt natural. As she opened the door to her room, she took in a breath of air, and stepped out. As she began to wander, she thought about going back to the room with the old artwork Bowser had shown her. She had enjoyed it so much, and she felt like they hadn't seen everything.

She retraced her steps from memory and found the room again with little trouble. As she stepped through, she could feel a slight chill in the air. She wished she had Bowser's body heat to mooch off of again. She also wished she had her gloves, or that at least the fabric of the sleeves was a bit thicker.

Regardless, Peach walked on. She walked past everything she had already seen, and eventually came back to the portrait of Bowser and his parents. She wanted to touch it, to give at least a little comfort to Bowser. After all, having no friends at all during childhood? It had to be torturous. Not to mention whatever happened to his parents. After all, being "gone" meant a few things. Had they died? Disappeared mysteriously? Left willingly? She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that whatever it was had hurt Bowser deeply, enough to not want to be very open about it.

She felt a wave of sadness and pity wash over her, and then she shook her head. She couldn't feel bad without being able to say anything! She walked on, looking at the portrait once more before leaving it.

She had been right, there was quite a bit she hadn't seen. Sure, it was just more paintings and statues, but they held stories she could only imagine Bowser telling her. The words "awesome" and "cool" popped up several times and she giggled quietly to herself. Then she saw yet another large painting of something familiar. It looked like the mushroom soldier she had seen in the pop-up book before.

She stepped closer carefully, and soon recognized the soldier as the general of the army her great-great grandfather had led into the Darklands. This was a scene from the things she had been taught in her homeschooling, but from the Darklandian perspective. As she observed the artwork with shock, she saw the dead bodies of koopas and mushrooms, the amount of deceased koopa soldiers much larger than that of the mushrooms. This felt correct, because she remembered her history teacher boasting about the overwhelming victory of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Peach remembered this suddenly, and felt disgusted that someone would be proud of their people being the cause of so much death and blood being a large part of their history. She read the silver information plate beside the painting, and she read that this war had lasted for three years, which was also accurate to what she had been told.

What she read next, though, was something she'd could never imagine her people being capable of. This war had been the cause of almost all the Darklandian's land to be taken away. It was claimed by the Mushroom Kingdom and used for their own. By that time, Bowser's own family couldn't attack back, because all of the income from their old land had vanished and they couldn't afford anything. They had lost nearly everything.

She wanted to cry, but instead chose to stand there in horror at the faults of her people. She wondered if Bowser had lied to her so she wouldn't react like this, or worse. But the thing was, she didn't know if there was anything worse than the dread and guilt she felt. As these emotions claimed her, she finally did shed a tear or two.

After a few more, she feared her makeup was going to smudge, so she left the painting and went back to her room, no longer in the mood to be pretty or to be wearing the old clothes of a queen whose people had to suffer because of Peach's family. She took the dress off, washed the makeup off, and drew yet another bath. She sat in this one until it became cold, thinking about everything she had just learned.

She allowed herself to weep in the cold water. Only this time she wept for Darklands, and not for herself.

_End of Chapter_


	10. Reassurance and Dinner

The day went by rather slowly after that, as Peach found herself moping around her room again, not wanting to go back outside. The realization that her family did something so...so horrible to Bowser's...it was too much. She couldn't show her face, not without feeling ashamed. She laid in her bed, under the covers, wishing to be home. At least there, she could be ignorant and be fed a story of triumph to make the war seem less disgusting. She had never been one to believe warfare was the best answer to political issues, but when the story was dressed up in a nice way, the idea was at least a little easier to take.

After a while, she heard a knocking on her door. She sat up in her bed and looked down at herself, checking to see if she was decent. A pair of light blue pajama pants and a white t shirt. Good enough. She allowed the knocker in. It turned out to be Kamek, who was coming in to inform her that Bowser was inviting her to dinner yet again. Her stomach clenched and she felt a lack of an appetite, but she agreed to go anyways. She figured that maybe Bowser could distract her from her discovery that afternoon.

As Kamek left, the maids that had dressed her up before rushed back in, a little disappointed to see that she had washed away their makeup job and taken off their old queen's dress. They thought the look had seemed quite lovely on her. Now, though, they had a new idea in mind. Instead of a regal look that would be more suitable for a ball, they wanted to dress the princess up to make her just a little more than presentable for their king. They were just dying for a new queen in the castle.

Peach looked at them sadly. She wondered how many of their family members her family had killed. She wondered how many members of her kingdom's families they had killed. It took one of the maids clearing her throat to get Peach's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what did you need?" Peach asked, embarrassed at her apparent lack of coherent thought.

"Well, y'majesty, we were kinda hopin' that...well…" the unofficial leader started quietly, her voice sheepish and her claw behind her head. "We were hopin' we could dress ya up again."

The thought of being in another one of the former queen's dresses made Peach sick with guilt. She couldn't stand the feeling, but she couldn't help it. The Darklands being left to flounder around like a fish without air, all because of her kingdom. It was driving her mad.

One of the maids cleared her throat again, snapping her back to attention once more.

"Would that be okay with ya, y'majesty?"

"Of course," Peach lied.

She was ushered into the bathroom yet again by the excited maids and she got lost in thought yet again. As they applied thick mascara and dark lipstick, all she could imagine was these maids as little girls, crying themselves to sleep because their father or brother would never be coming home. She almost started crying at the thought, but contained herself. She didn't want to ruin their fun.

When they were done with their work, she looked in the mirror. This makeup was a little more subtle than before, though it still consisted of mainly dark colors. It also seemed much more...sultry than her last look. She couldn't quite place how, but the way her blue eyes stood out and her lips glistened, it almost seemed like she was ready to break the hearts of men all over the world. She giggled at that thought, glad to have something to take her mind away from the more dark subjects she had been obsessing over the entire afternoon.

Once her mood picked up, she was a lot more open to whatever the maids wanted to do. When they brought in an exquisite ombre dark red and black dress with a skirt that glittered like the stars themselves, along with jewelry decorated with large rubies and a tall pair of red velvet gloves. The dress itself was sleeveless and the top hem stopped just above the top of her breast, and tied tight with a corset around her waist. The sleeveless element of the gown made Peach feel a little embarrassed. She felt exposed and strange, having never felt so much skin out in the open while being in a dress. She felt like an adult and it felt odd, and she became even more embarrassed that she would let Bowser see her like this.

She began to walk and move around in her simple, medium-length black heels, getting used to the flow of the gown. The skirt was a little more loose and it fluttered than what she was used to, and she was trying not to trip and stumble on herself. Heaven forbid she pull her top even lower than it already felt…

The maids watched her and looked around at each other, grins on their faces. Not only were they proud of their work, they also couldn't wait for Bowser's reaction to the princess' appearance.

Meanwhile, Bowser was all over the place in his chambers, trying to make himself look decent. He wanted to impress the princess, especially since their last dinner had gone so well, and he looked like his normal self then. Imagine how things could turn out if he actually dressed up! He was giddy thinking about her surprised face as he revealed his true sexy self.

He was throwing things around in his chambers, looking for a shell he had received as a gift on his last birthday, an obsidian shell with ivory spikes on it with an ivory rim. It was made primarily for formal events, and while it wasn't the best for defense, he didn't believe he had anything to worry about. He had been given word that the plumber who had been destroying his castles had been captured. He could enjoy a nice night with the princess.

Kamek entered his chambers just as he was shell-deep in his large walk-in closet. The old magikoopa raised a hairless brow in confusion and asked what it was that Bowser was doing. The king looked up and saw his father figure staring at him and his wrecked room oddly. Bowser grinned nervously, one of his claws reaching up behind his head and scratching the nape of his neck.

"Well, uh, I was just lookin' for that shell I got last year," Bowser replied, his voice sounding embarrassed. "You know, the black and white one? I was wanting to wear it tonight."

Kamek wondered if his king was ill for a moment before realization struck him and a grin spread across his old face, a knowing look crossing his wrinkled features. The king flinched and waited for the mocking.

"Oh, I see, just feeling like dressing up tonight?"

"Y-yup, you know it."

"This couldn't possibly be about your dinner with the princess, could it?"

"Wh-what? No, of course not. That'd be stupid. She's just some princess. Why would I get all dressed up for her? That's ridiculous, Kamek." Bowser flinched at his own rambling, his voice shaking and sweat starting to form at his brow. The old koopa's grin grew, exposing his fake teeth.

"Oh yes, just a young, beautiful, kind princess. A manly king such as yourself couldn't possibly feel a certain fondness for a girly woman such as herself."

"Kamek-"

"Your formal shell was put in storage, I'll have a maid fetch it for you." Kamek turned and floated out of the room as Bowser muttered a half-hearted thanks. Then he turned around and stuck his head in the doorway, winking and pointing a finger gun at Bowser. He clicked his tongue and said "Go get 'er, stud."

"SHUT UP!" Bowser roared, embarrassed beyond belief and wanting to chase Kamek down the hallway.

The old magikoopa snickered as he teleported away, getting a maid to get the king's formal shell. Bowser sat on his bed and fumed for a moment, trying to will Kamek's mocking tone out of his mind. That old fart was lucky Bowser secretly cared about him so much, or else he would've been scorched by now. Hell, he would've been nothing but ashes years ago. His smart mouth wouldn't last five minutes without Bowser's attachment to him.

But thinking about that didn't matter right now. Now he had to worry about getting himself ready for Peach.

Good god, it killed so much of his pride just to think that.

About a half hour later, both of the royals were ready. Bowser had showered and even put on some cologne, while Peach had spritzed herself with some perfume the maids had so graciously given her. She felt more like a queen than a princess, while Bowser skipped down the halls and felt like a teenager again. They met in the dining hall, entering through doors opposite of each other.

Their eyes met and they both stood still, looking up and down at one another. They both felt themselves heat up, each appreciating the appearance of the other. They walked to each other and muttered some greetings, rendered speechless by each other. Then Bowser remembered the surprise he had planned for the night and his eyes lit up as a smile grew on his face.

"Oh, Peach, I forgot to mention the extra part of this dinner I had planned to Kamek," he said, coughing to make his shaky voice sound smooth. His voice cracked in the middle of his sentence and Peach giggled, finding it cute. "We're, uh, we're gonna dance after dinner, if that's cool with you."

Peach smiled again, excitement and nervousness swimming up and down her spine like little fish. She dipped her head forward and he beamed. He mirrored her action after realizing what it was exactly that she was doing. When they both came back up, they seemed to be in sync, allowing their eyes to meet. A blush danced across Peach's cheeks and Bowser felt himself heat up yet again.

It took a moment and the awkward sound of a throat clearing for the two to realize that they still had to eat dinner. An awkward exchange of nervous smiles were passed between the pair before they promptly sat down. Their dishes were sat down in front of them, covered with a silver cloche. The hand of a koopa chef removed the covering with a little bit of flair that could almost only be described as eccentric. Peach giggled, already enjoying herself. Bowser found his already good mood getting even better at the sound of Peach's laughter.

The meal they were served was different than before. It was a grilled Cheep Cheep that was seasoned with spices Peach didn't even think she had ever tasted before. The meat of the fish was cooked to near perfection, tender and juicy and making her tastebuds tingle. The meal was pleasantly and promptly paired by a rich and exquisite cheesecake topped by ripe and juicy strawberries.

There wasn't much conversation during dinner, but they didn't mind. The silence between them felt comfortable, especially with the warmth surrounding them and the amazing food distracting them. Once they were done, though, they talked. Even after their plates were discretely removed from underneath their noses, they talked. They seemed to talk even more than the first night. Actually, it was thinking about that night that caused Peach to start laughing to herself.

"What's so funny?" Bowser asked through his grin.

She giggled a little longer before composing herself enough to speak. "Oh, nothing, just my little freak out the other night. Looking back on it now...it's so silly."

Bowser's smile dimmed a bit. He looked as though he was going to say something, but shook his head a bit and stood up, surprising the princess for a moment before he held his hand out to her. She looked up with a smile beginning to cross her lips yet again before he spoke up.

"I think I promised you a dance."

She laughed without mockery in her voice, and then gently laid her delicate, gloved hand in his palm. She took that moment to realize just how much bigger he was than her, and how apparent it was in even their hands touching in this way. The thought made her blush, though Bowser didn't even seem to notice. He must be used to being so much bigger than everyone around him.

Not letting her thoughts distract her too much, she stood up as he guided her to the dance floor. The floor itself was large, large enough that it may take hours for the two of them to glide around the entire dance floor. That notion, with the way Peach was feeling now, didn't seem all that bad. But still, they reserved themselves to a small portion of the huge area.

As they began a slow waltz, Peach took the time in their silence to look around the room. Murals painted all the way up to the ceiling depicted scenes of angelic koopas floating around a heavenly landscape of grand fields and colorful sealine sunsets. The colors were muted and yet popped out to her curious eyes. There was so much to look at and she doubted she was looking at all of it.

Still, her curiosity felt settled for now. She turned back to Bowser, who she realized had just been staring at her. Her face flushed and her eyes went down to their feet in slight embarrassment. He chuckled a bit, and they continued to glide, the sound of light music surrounding them from nearby.

"You look...beautiful tonight, princess," Bowser's low voice whispered, his head leaning down to her ear. "That dress really suits you. Should've known you'd look amazing in red."

"Oh, why, thank you, Bowser…" Peach said nervously, clearing her throat a bit. "You look rather handsome yourself."

"Heh, I could've told you that."

She looked up at his cheeky grin, smacking his arm playfully. "Don't get too cocky."

He dipped her gently and she gasped, gripping onto him a little tighter. He chuckled and picked her back up carefully. As they continued to step in line, she suddenly noticed that he was better at dancing than she had offhandedly expected him to be. She looked up at him and suddenly noticed his lips moving. She listened closely to try and hear if he was saying anything and she heard numbers.

A smile slipped across her lips, amusement in her voice as she spoke.

"Are you counting your steps?" she asked suddenly, getting his attention and a blush on his cheeks.

"Uh…n-no…"

"You don't have to worry about your steps so much, Bowser," the princess mentioned. "You've been doing great so far, I don't think you need to count your steps."

With a deep breath he stopped muttering. He seemed amazed when he still did well, and Peach giggled, finding this little moment endearing. He was trying so hard to remember these steps for her. In all truth, she actually found it rather cute. But he seemed to be worrying a little bit as the silence stretched on. She decided that she needed to help him stop worrying about it by opening up a conversation yet again.

"So, you never really finished that tour with you promised me."

"Hm?"

"The tour. You kind of left me to wander on my own. I don't know how wise that is for a tough leader such as yourself," she joked. "You don't know what I may steal."

He chuckled yet again, turning them both yet again. "I doubt you'd be able to steal anything even if you wanted to."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Because most of that stuff is either so old it'll break in your hands or so heavy you'll break your back lifting it."

"...yes, that may stop me," she replied with a laugh. Then she felt a nagging reminder of earlier that day, and felt the need to talk about it, what with the mood feeling so lighthearted. It felt like a decent time and she didn't know why. "And...about that, I went back to that room of artwork you showed me after you left."

"Oh, really? I'm kinda surprised that you managed to get back there. Usually when I end up in that dust factory it's when I get lost." He chuckled to himself.

Peach nervously giggled, the incoming seriousness of the conversation already causing her to feel worried. "Right...well...I found this old painting, and it showed a scene from the war I was taught about when I was younger."

Bowser heard the grave tone in her voice and felt the humor in their conversation melt away.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It...it showed me what I wasn't taught…" she teared up, clinging to his arms as she felt a little weaker and felt the need to be closer to him. "I-I didn't even know what w-we did to y-your people…" She felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I-I'm so sorry, Bowser…"

He ordered the musicians to stop and get out of the room before moving Peach away from him. "What are you talking about?"

"W-we stole your l-land and...and…" She was too choked up to continue.

He stared at her, unsure of how to handle the situation. Was this some kind of mood swing? Why was she suddenly crying? Sure, the Mushroom Kingdom screwed over the Darklands way back then, but that was war. Neither of them were even close to being born back then. His hands found its way to her arms and pulled her a little closer. She accepted the embrace and held on to him.

"I don't know why this is botherin' you so much...I'm not gettin' all choked up over it, and you shouldn't be, either. The past is the past." He sighed as she shivered in his arms, her cries muffled in his chest. "But...if it bothers you that much, then you should know that I've forgiven your family for that. War is war, and I don't think anyone really won that one anyways."

It was silent for a while, save for some sobs and deep breaths from Peach as Bowser held her close. He didn't know how else to comfort her and he wondered if it was making her uncomfortable. He was going to move away from her before her arms wrapped around him and she moved her head so she could look at him with a tear stained face and tiny grin.

"I'm sorry, I...I think I ruined the mood," Peach cried quietly, a little laugh escaping her.

"Yeah, kinda," Bowser chuckled in reply. He squeezed her a bit, trying to reassure her. "I don't mind, though."

End of Chapter


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